Transformers Titan: Escalation (old version)
by kira444
Summary: Volume 2 of Transformers Titan. The War for Terra escalates as new allies and enemies enter the fray while existing ones push themselves to the limit to gain the upper hand. The stakes are raised as Autobots, Decepticons and humans are drawn deeper into this war of blood and energon.
1. The Plague part 1

Transformers Titan: Escalation

Chapter 1-The Plague part 1

Megatron of Tarn, leader of the Decepticons, sat on his mighty throne of hard onyx and smooth ebony in contemplation. His large silver and black form was as still as a statue, with his only movement being the tapping of his finger against the arm rest. He had been sitting in what was left of the bridge for about an hour now, just by himself, left alone with his thoughts. The large hole in the roof was uncovered, and the morning sunlight shown down upon him, glinting off his armor. He looked like a king sitting amidst a tattered castle, plagued by his thoughts and worries. But Megatron had no worries.

Three weeks had passed since the chaotic battle against the Cardinals, powerful members of a race of god-like living statues who inhabited Terra in ancient times. The Cardinal known as Temperantia had attacked the island itself and severely damaged the Nemesis in the process. Even now, they were still repairing the ship and it wasn't going very well.

A hole had been blow near the reactor core, which was their main source of power. The ship was running on reserve power gathered from solar units planted throughout the island, and their energon storage vault was also caught in the blast. They were on the verge of a blackout, and had little to no energon. The bridge was also hit, and their communication and navigations systems were working at half power. The Decepticons had been working day and night since the battle to get their base up to working condition again, but it was a slow process. Only now did they have a sufficient energon supply and working computer systems. That said, the med bay, along with the CR chambers, were not looking very good.

Megatron had his moment to rage, shout and blast away at Sapientia's corpse to vent out his anger. Now he had to think. The Autobots seemed to have gotten out of their battle fairly unscathed. With their energon supplies low and a barely working ship, Megatron knew that if things kept going the way they were going, the Autobots could win this war and everything could go to hell. All because of those accursed Dolems. What the hell were they? Where did they come from? And what was their problem with Cybertronians? So many questions, and no one to answer them. It made Megatron angry again, but he quelled his rage. He was done having a tantrum, now he needed to get down to business.

The doors to the bridge slid open and Knockout entered the room with a datapad in hand. "Doctor in the house."

"How are the repairs going, Knockout?" Megatron asked.

"Well the ship's outer hull are holding thanks to the welding that Search and Cannon are doing on it and thanks to Starscream's Seekers and Blackout, our energon stocks are half full." Knockout reported. "But we are still running on reserve power so expect some power failures from time to time."

"What about that power source Soundwave stole from the humans?" He was referring to the reactor that Soundwave had stolen from the secret military base a few months ago. It was an experimental power source that was still in the experimental phase when the base was raided. At the moment, Megatron had Leader-1 search for the group responsible for its construction, as it was too advanced (as haphazardly made it was) to be have been engineered by human hands. Aside from the name, Skywatch, they were coming up with nothing.

At that, Knockout went quiet and fidgeted a bit. Megatron narrowed his eyes and spun his throne around to face the medic.

"Well, you see…there are some..." Knockout forced himself to give the bad news. "Complications we're having with the generator."

"What complications?" Megatron growled, slowly getting up from his throne. "You've had almost half a year to get this done! That generator is the only thing that can stop us from losing power and being left in the dark and at the mercy of the Autobots! How have you not made any progress by now!"

"Lord Megatron please. The reactor the humans were working on is an extremely unstable and volatile power source using radioactive elements. Nuclear elements. We can't extract it from the casing and use it for power without the risk of causing it to meltdown or irradiate the island. As it is, Soundwave had to sotp because he was in danger of a system-wide shutdown from the microwaves it was emitting."

Megatron glared down at him before snorting steam from his nose and sitting back down. "Fine then. Halt your experiments on the reactor until we can find a way to safely extract it. Now get out of my sight."

Knockout bowed and made his way towards the door. Megatron turned his throne around and went back to his wandering thoughts.

'How did things go so wrong? We were doing so well, and it all just goes up in flames' Megatron gripped his throne tightly and looked at the stasis field that sat next to the main computer, and the golden disk that was floating inside it. 'Project Stargate will come to fruition, and the Autobots will fall!'

XXXXXX

Three weeks after their victory after the Cardinal Temperantia, and the Autobots were making the most of the calm period they had. With the Decepticons not as active as they were, the Autobots spent their time harvesting energon and doing some mild alterations to the Ark (after Ironhide ripped off nearly half of the Ark's laser cannons to fight Temperantia). Now they were spending their free time doing something other than fighting Cons and battling cosmic horrors-talking about Jetfire.

"So you worked with Starscream?" Darren asked.

"Yup. We were tight like that," Jetfire bragged, though it wasn't something that he should be doing in association to Starscream. "I was THE fastest bot in the Cybertronian air force, and he was the second. Rose up through the ranks as a badass, and I even scored with Starscream's sister, the Seeker commander before him."

"Starscream has a sister?" Annie blanched. As if one wasn't bad enough.

"No, HAD a sister." Jetfire corrected her. "She died before the Cons took over Vos. Damn shame to, she was pretty cool to hang out with."

"Wasn't Deadscream a total psychopath?" Arcee asked.

"I said cool, not safe."

The children were hanging out with Jetfire, Arcee, Ratchet and Bulkhead in the recreation room. The humans were sitting on the massive table while the Bots shared a drink with each other. They were talking about pre-war careers and had just gotten done listening to Bulkhead's story as a construction worker.

"I thought the Seekers were all Decepticons." Annie said.

"Actually, the Seekers made up the bulk of Cybertron's aerospace force." Gina said. "Most of the Seekers joined the Decepticons with Starscream, but a few defected to the Autobots."

"But those guys are few and far in between." Jetfire said. "Where'd you learn all that four-eyes?"

"Ratchet," Gina chirped and smiled up at the medic. "He teaches me everything he can teach me about Cybertron, even your language."

"Oh really?" Jazz smirked. Ratchet elbowed him in the torso and kept drinking his energon.

"So Jetfire was Seeker ace, Bulkhead was a construction worker, but what about you Arcee?" Darren asked, looking up at the pink femme. "You do anything special before the war?"

"I wasn't anything that special or outlandish like a pilot or a builder." Arcee smiled and twirled her straw in her drink. "I lived in Ky-Alexia, a coastal city. I worked at a security detail for the senator. It was an easy job, since nothing happened in Ky-Alexia. Honestly, it was pretty boring."

"And while Cee was chillin' by the sea, I was travelin' all over Cybertron as a cultural investigator." Jazz smiled. "It was my job to search the planet or new elements of Cybertronian culture. Sort of like a journalist."

"Considering how you've assimilated Terran culture, I'm not surprised." Gina said.

"With that being said, does anyone know what Optimus was like?" Annie asked, thoroughly invested in the conversation. "Was he the big bot living it large over Cybertron?"

"Nope. He was a cop." Jazz said.

"Say what?" All three children said in shock.

"Yup, before Optimus became a Prime, he was a police officer in the Rodion police department."

"So Optimus wasn't always a Prime?" Gina inquired, making note of that.

"One does not simply become a Prime. It is something you earn." Ratchet explained. "A Prime is someone who symbolizes our race as a whole in the eyes of our god Primus. They are chosen to embody the core ideals of the Cybertronian race and represent the people."

"Tell that to Sentinel and Zeta." Bulkhead muttered.

"So Optimus was a member of the fuzz," Annie smirked. "How good was he?"

"Back in the day, they used to call him the supercop." Jazz told them. "He was one of the best and had a habit of jumping down on criminals from above."

"Wow," Darren breathed. "So Optimus has been helping people before the war even started."

"Yes, you could say that." Ratchet replied, giving a wistful smile. "You could say that it's all he knows what to do these days."

XXXXX

Another week passed by and there was still no Decepticon or Minicon activity. Optimus was now starting to get worried. Megatron never stayed quiet for this long unless they were spending their time working on a special project that required their attention. The only question was…what was it?

The answer came to him in pieces. A series of thefts began occurring all over the country. Science and research centers were robbed of certain pieces of high tech components, and any witnesses were mercilessly cut down. Evidence suggested that it was terrorism, caused by Karaba agents. It was a misleading cover used by the real thieves.

"Optimus, we got another one." Ratchet said as Optimus walked into the computer hub.

"Another theft?"

"Yes. Though this one isn't as covert as the others." Ratchet brought up a video feed showing a large, blue form crouched inside the middle of a lab.

"Soundwave," Optimus's eyes narrowed. "What did he steal?"

"A phase conductor." Ratchet answered. "This makes the fourth theft in a week. What is Megatron planning?"

"Bring up a list of what was stolen so far?"

Teletran -1 brought up a list of the items that the Decepticons had stolen. Optimus and Ratchet looked at the list closely for any clues as to what Megatron was planning to do with them. All they knew was that based on the components stolen, he was trying to build something using human technology, probably augmented by Cybertronian alterations.

"Plasma injector, neutron shield, tessaract, and more recently the phase conductor." Ratchet rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't get what he's trying to do."

"Neither do I, but it does not put me at ease knowing that one of the components Megatron is in possession of has the power to create a singularity."

XXXXXX

"So you going to tell me what we're doing here or am I going to be stuck out in the cold paying charades?" Knockout asked impatiently.

Soundwave merely glanced back at him before continuing forward. Soundwave had ground bridged himself and Knockout to a forest in central Europa without telling the medic why they were here in the first place. At the spymaster's silence, Knockout grunted in annoyance and followed the Con and his Minicons.

'How did I get stuck playing scavenger hunt with the universe's most unresponsive mime?" Knockout thought.

"Don't take it personally," Rumble said. "The boss is always like this. You'll get used to it."

"No, I won't. And I'm not very keen on having my paint job corroded by all this damn humidity because you won't tell me why we're wasting our time here!" Knockout shouted.

"Relax, Knockout. You know the boss never does anything without a reason." Frenzy grinned up at him.

Knockout silently told himself to keep his temper in check and followed the group. Whatever it was, it better be worth the wear his paint job was taking.

Soundwave continued forward until he made it to the edge of the forest, where a small glade was located. Laserbeak, his avian recon Minicon, jumped off the branch he was sitting on and landed on Soundwave's shoulder, squawking all the while. Contrary to what many people thought, Laserbeak and Ravage did speak proper Cybertronian, but their speech was mostly broken sentences, thanks to their animalistic natures. Most of the time, they stayed silent, communicating to Soundwave via their mental link.

"What did the little birdy say?" Knockout asked.

"Laserbeak has found what we are looking for." Soundwave said and pointed to a spot not too far from them. "Rumble, Frenzy, excavate the site."

Rumble stood over the spot of land that Laserbeak indicated and used his pile drivers to pound the ground, shattering the earth with his vibrations and turning the rock to dust. Frenzy followed up by drilling through the tough soil, burring deeper into the ground. After a few minutes he stopped when his drills hit something metal and pushed the dirt away. Soundwave and Knockout walked to the hole and looked inside. The spymaster's face was his usual stoic self, but Knockout's expression went from bored to shocked in seconds. Then he smirked.

"Lord Megatron is going to love this."

XXXXXX

"Optimus, I got signal." Optimus and Prowl looked up from the report they were reading and went over to Ratchet's side.

"What is it, Ratchet?" prowl asked.

"A locator beacon of Decepticon origin. But it's old. Very old."

Ratchet relayed some commands and Teletran-1 searched its databanks based on the signal it detected. It took a few minutes, but the computer determined a solid match. When the three Autobots saw the results, they were both shocked and worried at the implications that arose from this discovery. The signal matched a name that none of them thought they would see again since the early days of the war.

"N-17"

All over the Ark, the rest of the team, the Minicons and even the humans were surprised when the klaxon alarm went off and Optimus's voice ordered all personnel on deck to assemble in the command center. They wasted no time, extremely worried at the urgency in Optimus's voice. The grim expressions that he and Prowl wore didn't set their fears at ease at all.

"What's the situation, Prime?" Ironhide asked.

"Teletran-1 just located a Decepticon signal beacon." Optimus said. "It's an old signal that hasn't been detected in thousands of years until now. The signal is coming from a cache of N-17."

That caught the Autobots off guard. Most of them and the Minicons, save for Bumblebee and the kids sported horrified looks at this information.

"N-17? What's that?" Gina asked.

"I never heard of it." Bumblebee admitted.

"N-17, also known as the Hate Plague, was a chemical weapon created by the Decepticon Biological Warfare program." Prowl explained. "This all occurred before you were forged, Bumblebee. It was deployed during the early stages of the War for Cybertron, during the trench wars going on in the Orbital Torus States."

"The Hate Plague was designed to increase the infected victim's brainwaves to dangerous levels and induce artificially increased aggression." Ratchet said. "They were stricken with an uncontrollable rage that caused them to attack anything and everything in sight, even one's own reflection."

"I'm guessing since Megs isn't using it on us, it didn't go too well?" Bumblebee noted.

"The Hate Plague was indiscriminate in who it infected and Megatron was forced to decommission the project after losing a good portion of his forces to it in the torus states. I had medical teams collect what they could of the virus and jettison it into space, away from Cybertron so that no one could use it again." Optimus shook his head. "I never thought it would end up on Terra of all places."

"This planet is just a magnet for trouble, huh?" Jetfire muttered and got a elbow to the chest by Arcee. "What? It's true!"

"We need to get to it before Megatron," Prowl said. "If he gets a hold of the plague, then the situation on this planet will deteriorate very quickly."

"He could unleash it on the planet and have humanity tear itself apart." Darren gasped. Annie snorted.

"Like we weren't doing that already." She quipped.

"Autobots, this is a Code: Red emergency. I know that you all are still recovering from our battle against the Dolem, but if Megatron gets the N-17 container, then he will have the means to tear this planet apart without needing to enact the infiltration procedure. And that is something we cannot let happen." Optimus said. "Which is why we will be staging an all-out assault, hard and heavy."

"Yes! Finally, some action!" Annie cheered and ran to get her Talos, but Bulkhead stopped her.

"You kids are staying here." Bulkhead told them, gaining disappointed groans from the kids.

"Are you serious? We can help to. Have you not seen how much ass we kick?" Annie asked.

"This is different, Annie. A lot is at stake and we don't have room for error here." Prowl said and knelt down to them. "No one is questioning you ability to help. But we're dealing with highly dangerous chemical weapons that can prove detrimental to humans and Cybertronians alike."

"But our Talos can protect us." Gina said, but Optimus shook his head.

"We need you to stay here for now, Gina. You and the Minicons need to stay behind in case…" He trailed off and sighed. "Just remain on standby for now until we require you aid. Please, know that this is a delicate situation."

The way he said that caused the children's protests die before they could be said. They knew that Optimus didn't like them fighting in their war, even with the added protection and firepower given to them by their Talos. But they understood what he was saying now; if things went wrong and the Autobots were taken out of commission, it was up to them to protect the Ark and the Minicons. They were the last line of defense.

"Autobots, get your weapons and assemble in the shuttle bay." Optimus ordered. "We're going in hard."

XXXXXX

"Gina, a word please."

Gina stopped in her tracks and looked up at the towering Autobot leader. Darren caught Prime's glance and pulled Annie away, leaving them alone in the hallway.

"Yes, Optimus?"

Optimus took a look around to make sure that they were truly alone before kneeling down to her level, though he was still a few feet taller than her. He reached into his hip compartment and took out a small, flat device. It was golden and Gina thought it looked like some kind of high-tech key card, but it looked way to intricate to be just that.

"I want you to have this, Gina. Take care of it for me until my return." Optimus said.

"What is it?" She asked softly.

"It's…a memento from my teacher, Alpha Trion. He gave this to me not long after I became a Prime, and I want you to keep it safe."

"You're giving something this important to me? But, it seems like a task that Jazz or Ironhide are more suited for." Gina said, trying to wrap her mind around it all. "They're more suited to keeping it safe than I am."

"Gina, over the past year, I have watch you and your friends grow into exceptional people. You are a curious but responsible girl who has an appreciation for things that have passed, the things that made us what we are today. Your efforts to help us have been greatly welcome to us all, even Prowl, though he chooses not to show it." Optimus held the device to Gina. "You placed your trust in me to keep you children safe and now I'm placing my trust in you."

Gina didn't know what to say. She was touched that Optimus was willing to entrust such an important thing to her. She never thought that any of the Autobots thought of her as anything more than a brainiac with a big mouth that would pester tem for information on their race and their world (it was always a secret fear of hers that they'd get tired of her and just tell her to shut up). She swallowed audibly and nodded, reaching out to the key card. As soon as her fingers touched the smooth metal, the card began to fold into itself, shifting its size until it was small enough to fit in her hand. She took it from Prime's fingers and studied it.

"I'll take good care of it, Optimus. I promise." She said seriously.

"I know you will." Optimus said fondly.

They shared one final glance at each other, having said what they needed to without saying anything. Optimus gave her a parting nod before standing back up and walking away. Gina watched the Autobot leader walk away and thought she didn't voice her concerns, she was afraid that all this talk about trust and the dangerous mission coming up, it felt like that he wasn't coming back.

XXXXXX

"Ngh! Why is this thing so heavy?" Knockout grunted as he and Soundwave lifted the large container out of the ground. "Couldn't you have called Blackout for this you mute oil hole?"

"Don't be callin' the boss names because you're too weak to get your peds dirty." Rumble said. He was helping them lift the container from underneath with his strong arms. "A little heavy lifting will do you some good."

"And I think a little facial make-over from my drill will be just as beneficial to you-gah!"

Knockout took an ion blast to the chest and was sent falling into the pond. Soundwave and his Minicons looked up to see Optimus and his team standing there, with their ground bridge fading away behind him. They all had their weapons pointed at them as they advanced on their position.

"Soundwave, take your proxies and step away from the container. That is Autobot property." Optimus ordered.

"Typical of Prime to lay claim to something that is not theirs." Megatron and his group appeared out of the ground bridge in front of Soundwave. Megatron leveled his fusion cannon at Optimus's head.

"The only you own here is the container that holds the virus. The hate plague is mine to do with as I see fit." Megatron growled.

The field was deathly quiet as both teams face each other in a stand-off. Weapons were powering up, but no one fired a shot without the order of their leaders. Both sides were well aware that a stray bolt could breach the container and endanger everyone present. It was up to the commanders to give the word. Then…

"Autobots/Decepticons, attack!"

XXXXXX

"Annie could you stop pacing? You're making me nervous." Darren said.

"We should be out there, Gina. We could help. The Autobots know that." Annie said, not stopping her pacing at all.

The children were waiting in the west wing of the Ark where the Mincons had designated as their own area along with the children. As was the norm in situations like these, things were tense, and the children found it hard to keep their anxiety down. Sureshock got up and put a hand on Annie's shoulder.

"Annie, Optimus knows what he's doing?" She said. "Have faith in him."

"Even Optimus can make mistakes." Annie said, throwing the Minicon's hands off her. "We'd have a better chance of winning if we fight together."

"I agree, this isn't the time to be sitting on the sidelines." Grindor said. "We've got a chemical weapon in the hands of despots here!"

"It's because there's chemical weapons that Optimus doesn't want us involved." High Wire said. "A million things can go wrong if that container is breached. There was no cure for the Hate Plague and if any of you got infected, Primus knows how things could turn out."

"I know, but…"Annie sighed and sat back down. Darren put an arm around his sister. "What if something happens? I know they're trained soldiers and all that, but after Temperantia…"

"No one will die." Darren said. "The Autobots have been fighting the Cons longer than Terra has even existed. They know what they're doing. Compared to fighting Temperantia, this is nothing."

"I guess so." She shrugged.

Gina, while not visible showing it, was also worried about her friends. Her earlier conversation with Optimus rang through her mind as she fingered the key-card in her pocket.

XXXXXX

It was chaos. Total war. The glade and the surrounding forest had become a war torn battleground with smoking craters and burning trees. Autobots and Decepticons were engaged in long range firefights with blaster bolts flying through the air or were fighting each other at close range.

The skies were no different. Jetfire, powerlinked with Comettor, was fighting the three Seekers in a three on one dogfight that even the Aerialbots would find outstanding. Starscream tried to shoot Jetfire down with his null ray, but Jetfire easily dodged his attacks and shot at him with a few rounds from his particle cannon. Starscream dodged and transformed, flying after him with Thundercracker. Jetfire let them chase after him for a while, then cut his engines off and switched to robot mode, letting the two Seekers fly right under him and fired his particle cannon. He missed Starscream, but caught Thundercracker in the wing.

"Skywarp, flank him!" Starscream ordered and pointed his null ray at Jetfire. At the same time, Skywarp appeared behind Jetfire with his cannons pointed at his back.

Jetfire shook his head and cut his boosters off, allowing gravity to take hold of him just as the two Cons opened fire on the spot he was just flying in. Starscream got a face full of incendiary bullets and Skywarp took a null blast to the chest, knocked offline and fell to the ground. Jetfire laughed at the stupidity of his former flight partners, but saw Thundercracker come at him from behind and angle his feet at his back. There was a deafening boom as Thundercracker released a localized sonic boom at Jetfire that sent the white Autobot crashing into the trees and hitting the ground.

Bumblebee and Wheeljack were fighting Barricade and Knockout, the ground team of the Decepticons. Barricade fought off the yellow scout with his spinning gyro blades that could cut through Cybertronian armor like butter. Bumblebee had his electric stingers, new additions to his arsenal thanks to Wheeljack, and was shooting small but painful bolts of electricity at Barricade. The Con grunted and snarled like an animal every time Bumblebee would dance out of his reach and shoot at his legs or chest with those accursed stinger blasters of his. It made fighting the Autobot absolutely infuriating.

"Stop playing around and fight me like a warrior!" Barricade shouted.

"But I'm not a warrior," Bumblebee smirked. "I'm just a scout." He threw some dirt in Barricade's face and lunged at him, punching him in the face.

Knockout was having a worse time than his partner in fighting Wheeljack. He only had his drill and saw as his weapons, along with an energon prod, the only real weapon that he knew how to use. Knockout, knowing full well how unpredictable Wheeljack was in a fight, kept him at a distance with a blaster rifle that he picked up from the armory. It wasn't a particularly dangerous weapon, but it did the job of keeping Wheeljack away from him.

"What's the matter, Knockout? Afraid that you'll damage that tacky finish of yours?" Wheeljack taunted.

"No, I'm just not dumb enough to fight you within striking distance." Knockout replied and fired his rifle. Wheeljack took cover behind a tree and pulled out two grenades.

"That's another mistake you made, Knockout. One of many!" Wheeljack yelled and threw a flash grenade at the medic. Knockout yelped as he was blinded by the intense flash and his optical sensors tried to deal with the sudden change in light. Wheeljack used this chance to run out of cover and charge at him.

Though blinded, Knockout heard Wheeljack's footsteps and spun his prod around his back, catching the engineer in the chest and electrocuted him violently. Wheeljack stumbled back and Knockout jumped on him, shifting his right hand into a drill and tried to gore the Autobot's head. Wheeljack kept him at bay, but also had to use one arm to keep the prod away from his face. Knockout grinned as the drill and prod neared Wheeljack's body, but just as both weapons almost reached the mech, Knockout was shot in the back by Bulkhead, who then proceeded to land a dozen hard punches to his face before kicking him away.

"You okay, Jackie?" Bulkhead asked, helping Wheeljack up.

"Yeah, thanks Bulk. He almost got me there." Wheeljack said.

"Don't let your guard down, Jackie. This battle is far from over." Bulkhead looked to his left and saw Rumble and Frenzy charging at them. "You got more of those missile shells on you?"

"Just tell me what you need and I'll shoot 'em." Wheeljack said and together with Bulkhead they charged at the powerful Minicons.

Flamewar, who had stayed back near the container, was facing off against Arcee and Jazz. Upon seeing the silver Autobot, Flamewar grinned at her sister.

"How sweet, you brought another partner for me to snuff." Flamewar said and brought out her blades. "I've been waiting for a chance to get you both back for last time."

"You can try baby sis." Arcee replied. She smirked at the annoyed look on Flamewar's face.

Flamewar leapt at Arcee, but was forced to perform a difficult maneuver in the air when Jazz also jumped at her and almost caught her in the face with a downward kick. She landed on the ground and tried to cut him with her blades, but he took out his Bo staff and blocked her strikes with ease, following up with a few blows to her chest and legs. Arcee jumped into the fight and swept Flamewar's legs from under her, punching her in the chest to knock her back. Flamewar rolled across the ground and transformed to her alt mode, driving across the ground at high speeds.

When she was close enough, she leapt into the air and returned to her humanoid configuration and kicked Jazz in the chest before slashing at Arcee, who leaned her head back and ran at her. Flamewar saw Arcee and Jazz running at her from both sides and she raised her arms to block her sister's sword and Jazz's staff before they could hit her from the top and bottom.

Near the container, Ironhide and Prowl stood in front of Nightshade, who brandished her swords, awaiting their move.

"So how are we going to do this?" Ironhide asked.

"Hit her from both angles." Prowl replied. "I'll rush in and take her on at close range."

"And I'll keep her on her toes with my guns." Ironhide grinned and pointed his cannons at her. "I can work with that."

Nightshade sneered and charged at them. Prowl met her halfway and took out his batons, swinging them at her with enough force to shatter steel. Nightshade blocked them with her blades and they quickly got into a fast weapons only fight combined with a series of difficult kicks to knock each other off balance. Ironhide took aim at her from his position, but before he could take the shot, he was hit by a missile from behind. He fell face first into a dirty puddle and spat out water as he glared up at his attacker. Soundwave stood a few feet from him with his concussion rifle pointed at the red Autobot.

"For the love of all that's holy!" Ironhide growled and leapt at Soundwave, firing his cannons. Sounwave fire a few rockets from his shoulder launcher and shot down the missiles and fission blasts that were fired his way. Ironhdie took out his short bladed axe and swung at Soundwave, who ducked under his strike and punched him hard in the chest. "You're gonna have to do better than that!"

Soundwave's right hand shifted into a radio dish and emitted a powerful blast of sound that hit Ironhide in the chest and sent him flying across the area into a tree. The sonic blast had dented his torso plate and jumbled his audio sensors, but he stood up and growled at the spymaster.

"All right, you did better." Ironhide grunted and motioned for Soundwave to come at him. "Can you do that again?"

While their respective teams fought around them, Optimus and Megatron were locked in an intense duel. Every clash of their blades sent sparks flying, and they locked gazes as axe and sword fought against each other.

"Why do you continue to fight, Prime?" Megatron asked, pushing against Optimus. "Why fight for a species that would kill you on sight?"

"If you don't know the answer by now Megatron then there is no point in telling you!" Optimus said.

He kicked Megatron back and spun his axe around to bring it down on his in an arc. Megatron rolled to the side and stabbed forward, almost scratching Prime's window panes before his arm was knocked away and Optimus punched him in the jaw. Megatron stumbled back and glared at his nemesis, spitting out energon.

"We are gods, Optimus. Gods with the power to rule this planet and every other world in the cosmos." He said. "Together we could achieve so much more, including the restoration of our planet. Is the salvation of our people not worth a single world?"

"You'll never stop at one!" Opitmus ran at Megatron, spinning around his blade arm and slicing the heated blade of his axe into Megatron's shoulder. "The humans and Terra are under my protection!"

"Then you will die with them!"

In a surprising move, Megatron grabbed the axe and tore it from his shoulder, before slugging Optimus in the face. He then slashed his blade across Prime's chest and punched him again with enough force to send him crashing to the ground two feet from him.

"Join them in extinction!" Megatron roared and pointed his fusion cannon at Prime's head.

Bumblebee turned just in time to see Megatron punch Optimus to the ground. When he saw the warlord raise his cannon, he wasted no time in charging for them, hoping to reach Optimus in time.

It felt like time slowed down for Optimus. Megatron fired a blast from his fusion cannon and he saw the plasma beam shoot out of the barrel straight for his head. Then he saw Bumblebee jump in front of him.

"Bumblebee!"

The beam hit the yellow Autobot dead center in his body, hitting him in the waist and blew the mech in two. The entire battlefield froze as Bumblebee's body was bisected, his legs destroyed along with his lower torso and his upper body crashed to the ground, sparks flying from where he was hit. Bumblebee was already in stasis lock before he even hit the dirt. Optimus felt his body go numb, then he ran at Megatron in a blind rage.

"MEGATRON!"

Optimus rammed his body in Megatron with the force of a train, sending them both to the ground. He then started to pummel Megatron's face and body with powerful blows, not giving the warlord any opening to fight back. Nightshade saw her leader getting beaten by Prime and cursed. She took out Gandiva and fired an arrow at his back.

The arrow hit Prime, but he only flinched for a minute, long enough for Starscream to hit him with a null ray that paralyzed him further. Another arrow from Nightshade blasted him on his back, and sent Optimus into stasis lock from his hindered systems. Seeing his opportunity, Megatron pulled himself up and looked at Blackout, who was hovering near by above the area.

"Blackout, cover fire!"

The Con transformed and linked with Cannon, slamming his fist into the ground and sending out a large sonic wave that hit every one within his vicinity. While the Decepticons had taken cover, the Autobots weren't so lucky and they were hit full force. Soundwave and Barricade used the distraction to grab the container and rush over to the ground bridge sent to them. Megatron grabbed Optimus and looked at the Autobots.

"As much as I'd like to stay and kill you all, Autobots, I have work to do. But know that your contribution to my cause will not be forgotten." He said, smirking victoriously. "Soundwave, send us to the construction site. And to our victory!"

Megatron and his group entered the ground bridge, and the portal closed, leaving the Autobots alone in the ravaged forest. Prowl and Jazz ran over to Bumblebee's broken body and checked him over, with Prowl calling the Ark.

"Ratchet, we need an immediate med evac!" Prowl ordered. "Bumblebee's in critical condition!"

This was a bad day for the Autobots. They just lost two of their own and the Decepticons have the Hate Plague. They lost this battle and possibly the only chance of saving Terra from a violent death.

XXXXXX

The command center was quiet. No one said a word as they stood around the meeting table with Optimus's battle axe sitting on it in front of them. They were waiting on news of Bumblebee's condition. Ratchet and Longarm were working hard on stabilizing the scout. Darren and Annie escorted the teary eyed Gina into the room along with their Minicons.

"Wheeljack, have you located Prime's signal yet?" Prowl asked.

"Not yet," Wheeljack was working at the Teletran-1 terminal trying to find his leader's energon signal. "I haven't found a trace of him yet. The Cons must be shielding his signal."

"Then try harder! You're the mechanical engineer, you should have no problem getting over something like this!" Prowl growled.

"Lay off him Prowl. He's doing the best he can!" Arcee said.

"If you want to start, Arcee, then why don't you use some of your cyber-ninja skills to locate Prime?" He snapped. "If you don't have anything helpful to say then stay quiet."

"Your bullshit isn't helping, Prowl." Annie said.

"That's swell coming from a loose cannon."

"Don't talk to her like that!" Darren yelled. "None of this is helping anyone. If we keep fighting each other, then we'll lose."

"Don't even start, Darren. Despite whatever slag Prime may have said, you have no place dealing in Autobot matters." Prowl said coldly. "We never should've let you humans get involved in something that has nothing to do with you."

"Why don't you make us stay out?" Darren sneered. "You like to talk big but can you back that shit up?"

He stomped his foot and a large piece of metal tore itself from the floor and hit Prowl in the face. Not hard enough to do serious damage, but just enough to leave a small cut under Prowl's eye. The tactician glared down at Darren and stepped forward, but Jazz got in front of him and pushed him back.

"You two need to cool off." Jazz said, his face dead serious. "This is not the time for that. We need to focus on how to find Optimus, not trying to kill each other."

"Kinda hard considering we don't have a damn clue to where Prime is!" Ironhide growled. "How the hell are we going to find the Nemesis?"

"He's not at the Nemesis." Bulkhead said. "Remember what Megatron said? Something about a construction site."

"Yeah he did mention that." Wheeljack said. "Perhaps that has something to do with all those stolen parts."

"Bucket-head probably took Optimus to where he's building his science project."

"A very large project no doubt." Ironhide pointed out.

"One that will need a lot of energon to power." Arcee said.

"I'll have Teletran search for large energon deposits. If Megatron is building something big, then he'll need a raw fuel supply in close proximity." Wheeljack said.

"Get on it," Prowl said and turned his back on his weary team. "As for the rest of you, heal up and remain on standby. Once we find Optimus, we're mobilizing with all our assets at our disposal."

XXXXXX

Optimus groaned as he regained consciousness. His optics came back online, though his vision was a bit blurry. His body felt stiff and he realized that he couldn't move his limbs.

"Optimus, glad to have you with us again."

Megatron stepped into his view, smirking. Optimus noted, with a bit of satisfaction, that the Decepticon leader's face was still sporting dents and cuts from his earlier assault.

"Megatron."

"Come now, Optimus, cheer up. You're about to witness my victory in this farce of a war."

"Even with the Hate Plague, you don't have the resources to maintain a long term assault. And you certainly don't have enough of it to infect the entire planet by itself."

"Must you always think so small? The plague itself is not my trump card. It's my new project."

"Project?"

Megatron smiled and backed away. Optimus now had a clear view of what was before him. He could tell that the sight before him was old. He was trapped to a boulder outside a collection of ancient stones arranged in some strange patter, covered in runes. Cables were hooked up to the stones and he saw Soundwave and Knockout working with a medium sized sphere that was emitting a steady amount of heat. It took Optimus a moment to realize why this place was so familiar.

This was Stonehenge, and the Decepticons were repurposing it into a space bridge.


	2. The Plague part 2

Chapter 2-The Plague part 2

Gina worked without pause at her computer, using her link with Teletran-1 to search as many possible sites where the Decepticons could be holding Optimus. An hour had passed since that ill-fated battle and the Autobots were no closer to finding their missing leader or learning about their wounded yellow scout. So many things were going wrong at once and the stress was starting to get to her.

"Gina, sweetheart, you need to rest." Sureshock said. "You're going to pass out if you keep at it like this."

"How can I rest when two of my friends are in trouble? Optimus is a prisoner and Bumblebee might die, I can't exactly get a good night's sleep with that on my mind." Gina said, taking off her glasses and rubbing her forehead."

"Gina," High Wire knelt down beside her. "Optimus is a strong bot, nothing is going to happen to him. And so is Bee. They're both going to be all right."

"But I doubt that they'll be happy to see you running yourself ragged for their sakes." Darren said.

"I know, but I can't help but be antsy." Gina held her head in her hands. "Now I know how Annie felt when Bulkhead got hurt."

Annie just sat down next to the blonde and rubbed her shoulders to comfort her. Then Longarm came into the room, most of his body covered in drying energon and looking exhausted. The Autobots, Mincons and humans all crowded around him as they grilled him for information.

"Is Bee all right?"

"Will he live, Longarm?"

"Does he need a blood transfusion? I'm a type-A!" Annie yelled.

Longarm held up his arm for everyone to quiet down. "Bumblebee is finally stable, but he's in stasis lock. Ratchet is going to put him in the CR chamber for him to heal from his injuries before operating on his legs."

"How was the damage?" Jolt asked.

"Extensive and almost fatal. According to Ratchet, Megatron had blasted him near his waist, destroying his legs and nearly taking out his torso too. Any higher and we'd be short one Autobot today. Even still, we had to make sure that his Spark core wasn't breached. It was hard stuff, but we managed to save him."

A wave of relief washed over the entire team. Something was finally going for them today. Gina felt like crying, but an alert from her laptop got her attention.

"Guys I think I've got something." She said and checked the readings. "Teletran is detecting faint traces of…quantum pulses?"

"What the hell is that?" Jetfire asked. He really hated it when smart people used crazy techno-jargin to explain things. It made his head hurt.

"Quantum pulses are the energy waves released by space bridges." Wheeljack explained and to everyone's surprise, Bulkhead added to it.

"They're caused by massive amounts of energy that is required to fold space to shorten long distance locations. Both space bridges and ground bridges have the same thing, and it's what allows us to travel so far in the blink of an eye." Bulkhead said. Everyone looked at him like he grew a second head.

"And you know this how?"Ironhide asked.

"Who do you think helped rebuild the space bridge we used to get here?" Bulkhead crossed his arms. "Alpha Trion had Jackie and I work on it with Perceptor. You learn a thing or two when working with that guy."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" Prowl sighed.

"Um…you never asked?"

Seeing that Prowl looked like he was about to strangle the green Autobot, Jetfire decided to intervene with his own question.

"Anybody wondering why we're detecting something that should be coming from a space bridge on this planet?"

That brought on a lot of ideas and none of them were good. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together but no one wanted to say them out loud out of fear of it coming true.

"We better speed up our timetable." Jazz said and looked down at Gina. "Gina, can you and Jackie locate that pulsewave?"

"We're on it!" They said and got to work on pinpointing the signal.

Prowl turned to the team. "Autobots, grab your gear and get ready! We're getting our leader back!"

XXXXXX

In the time he spent on this planet, Megatron learned that there was more to Terra that meets the eye. The Dolems, hephaestium, the artifacts, all of it only increased his desire to conquer it so that he may learn its secrets. He never thought that Terra could prove to be so valuable, but it was glad it did. It made all his humiliating defeats in the past year worth something.

This 'stargate' he was using was old, thousands of years old and disguised as a religious monument sacred to ancient druids, but the mechanics that were employed in its construction was disturbingly similar to Shockwave's blueprints of a space bridge. It was found thanks to the information provided by the golden disk he had found, and rebuilding it was surprisingly easy. Thanks to the necessary components that the humans supplied to him, they were able to enhance the structure and get it working again, and the reactor that was also provided by those humans helped solve their need for a power source.

After he decimated this world, Megatron planned to see what other secrets it might have…after he torched those accursed Dolems!

"These Dolems are just full of surprises," He said to the retrained Optimus. "They are like us in so many ways, yet they are more powerful than we are."

Optimus didn't say anything. He only continued to weakly struggle in his bonds. Megatron snorted and shook his head.

"You could break out, you know. Try to stop us. But you won't get anything done. Your body is still suffering from the effects of Starscream's null ray. In your sorry state, even Knockout could take you out by himself."

"My Autobots will come for me, Megatron." Optimus said.

"I'm counting on that. I want your lackies to be the first to meet my army as they march on this world." Megatron replied and glared at Optimus. "And then when I'm done with you so-called team, I'm coming for those human pets you hold in such high regard. They still need to pay for killing Lugnut!"

Just before their battle against the Cardinal Forititudo, the Decepticons had cornered the children in their new Talos mecha. Just as tensions reached its peak, Darren fired a single beam from his rifle that shot Lugnut in the chest and killed the mech immediately. Though Lugnut was most well-liked Con, the other Decepticons thought it was a stain on their pride that the first casualty on their side was caused by a human. Megatron himself tried to kill the kids, but they held him off long enough for the Autobots to arrive. It seemed that Megatron was not willing to let go of that particular slight just yet.

Megatron marched away, leaving Optimus alone. The Prime growled and continued to struggle in his bonds, praying that the Autobots got here before it was too late.

XXXXX

"So, I'm guessing that a space bridge is something like a ground bridge?" Annie questioned. While the Autobots were working on finding Optimus, she and the others were in the west wing waiting for Gina to do her part as well. Annie figured that now was the best time to get some of her questions out of the way.

"Yes, in fact, the ground bridge was first invented by Wheeljack using-zzt-space bridge mechanics." Fixit said. He waved his arms around, nearly hitting Jolt in the head as he tried to visualize how large a real space bridge was. "They were massive, like ground bridges but the size of starships, maybe even bigger than that. Cybertron had a ring around them that they used during the expansion years of the Golden Age."

"So that explains how the Ark and Nemesis got here." Darren said. "But I'm guessing that they aren't working anymore?"

"That's right. Cybertron destroyed the space bridges by order of Nominus Prime when the Rust Plague hit the colony worlds." High Wire explained. At the twins' questioning looks, he elaborated on the plague. "The Rust Plague can best be described as the Black Death of our people. It was a fast spreading disease that causes the body to rust and corrode, slowly breaking down the body. All the while you felt nothing until the corrosion caused your Spark to shrink and you died a painless death."

"God, that's horrible." Annie whispered. High Wire nodded solemnly.

"Thousands of colony worlds had been sterilized by the plague, and it was the Prime's decision to destroy the space bridges that saved the planet, at the cost of sending society into another dark age."

"The space bridge that the Autobots used was the only one still intact, and from what Ratchet told me, it was barely in working condition." Sparkplug said.

"So Megatron is trying to build a space bridge on Terra using the components he stole?" Darren asked.

"That's the general idea, but such a thing is impossible with the materials here." Rollbar huffed. "Chances are that they components are used to act as surrogate parts to an already working space bridge. How they plan to do that is beyond me."

"Maybe it's not a Cybertronian space bridge they're building, but rather they're reverse-engineering their own." Gina muttered. She snapped her fingers as she had an idea. "I think I know what they're planning!"

"Care to fill us in?" Jolt asked.

"The Decepticons stumbled upon that circle that teleported us to Brigadoon, which we thought looked like a pile of stones arranged in a pattern by the ancient tribesmen. The Decepticons also found that dome that captured Optimus and Nightshade. Both structures were created by the Dolems, and I bet my anime collection that they found another one of those things lying around somewhere."

"Another one of those portal things?" Annie muttered and cursed. "Shit, I didn't think there would be more of them."

Gina nodded. "And those things ran on large amounts of hephasetium. If we focus on locating large amounts of haphaestium, then perhaps we can find where the Cons are."

"And Optimus!" Darren smiled at the blonde. "Gina, you're a genius!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Gina blushed.

"I'll tell the others about what we found. Maybe this might be the break we're looking for." Sparkplug ran out the room to speak to Prowl and Wheeljack. He hoped this was their lucky break, because every second they wasted sitting around was a second longer for Megatron to form a link to Cybertron and the rest of his army.

XXXXXX

Megatron had every Decepticon on hand working on the site. Thundercracker and Skywarp were welding radiation reflecting panels to the standing stones while Flamewar was hooking the Nemesis' transwarp drive to the main generator that the reactor was installed in. with the Nemesis grounded for good, they didn't need the thing anymore. The drive's transdimensional capabilities will make reaching across space and time much easier, long enough for troops to move in. Soundwave and Knockout were using small amounts of the hate plague to decrease the radiation level of the reactor so they could properly handle the machine without radiation poisoning.

"Everything seems to be going on schedule, Megatron." Starscream reported. He looked at what used to be the rune covered stones but were now pointed spires of metal that reached to the sky as if trying to grab something. "It looks impressive."

"Thank you for your input Starscream." Megatron glared at the Seeker commander. "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Only that we're almost finished with the construction. The reactor should be ready to install and the transwarp drive is working perfectly with the particle collider. All in all, this monument is perfect to act as a makeshift space bridge." Starscream frowned at the Decepticon décor. "Though the spikes are a bit ostentatious."

"When I want your opinion Starscream, I'll ask for it." Megatron said and motioned to the entirety of Stonehenge. "I want everyone to see the Decepticons' greatest victory, to know that it was here that the apocalypse started."

"It won't even begin if the Autobots find us and torch it. This thing isn't the most subtle of space bridges and heaven knows how much power it's going to bring out." The Seeker said. Megatron glared at him but he stared right back into his eyes. "You know I'm right. They'll ruin your little plan before it even gets off the ground. If I were in charge I would've-"

"If you were in charge, you would've tried to turn it on before it was ready and blow the damn thing up by yourself." Megatron interrupted. "You're no leader, Starscream. You're a tool who leaps before he thinks. It's no wonder why your sister used you as a punching bag all the time."

Starscream almost punched Megatron right then and there, but Nightshade standing nearby kept him at bay. He settled with a glare at his leader before marching away. Flamewar watched the scene with a smile and couldn't help but dig the nail in further.

"Had a nice chat with Megatron?" She asked.

"Shut up you witch! You're not one to talk." He hissed.

"Oh am I? I'm not the one who proclaims his goals of leading the Decepticons, but spends most of his time groveling at Megatron's feet to avoid getting slagged." Flamewar jumped down from the boulder she was sitting on and got in his face. "Face it, Starscream, you're too weak both physically and socially to fight him now."

"But I do have time on my side, Flamewar." He replied and went over to his fellow Seekers. "I've waited five thousand years to kill Megatron, and I am willing to wait another year until my opportunity rises."

"Famous last words." Flamewar smirked.

"Megatron," Soundwave said. "The reactor is stable and is ready for installation."

"Perfect! Soundwave, install the reactor and activate the transwarp drive and particle collider." Megatron ordered. "Charge the gate up for activation!"

"No, Megatron! You don't understand what you're fooling around with." Optimus said. "This is Dolem technology, you could end up bringing more of them here. This is between the two of us. Don't involve humanity into our war!"

"They became involved the moment you took those brats under your care! This world will be mine and I don't care who stands in my way!" Megatron shouted at his archenemy.

"You won't have an easy time doing that Megatron. So long as you continued down the path you walk, more and more people, Autobots, humans or otherwise will rise to stop you." Optimus told him, glaring at him with crystal blue eyes. "You were once like that to, you can't expect me to believe that people won't rebel against your rule!"

"Then they will all die! I did not risk our world, our people's future just to bow down to inferior species!" Megatron said. The stargate behind him started to hum and the spires began to crackle with energy. "Watch as your precious world is made another outpost in my grand Decepticon empire!"

Optimus looked at what used to be Stonehenge as the energy output started to rise and glared at Megatron. He wasn't going to let it all end like this, not when they lost so much already.

XXXXXX

"I've got something." Ratchet said, eyes on the terminal. "It's a faint energy signature, but its growing stronger."

As Ratchet triangulated the signal, Gina joined him, bringing up a map and inputting the coordinates. It didn't take long to pinpoint the exact location, but it wasn't what she was expecting.

"I got the location. It's…" Her eyes widened. "In Wiltshire, England!"

"Stonehenge?" Darren said. He face palmed himself hard. "Why am I not surprised?"

"As unexpected this is, at least it's far away from any population centers." Arcee said. "We need the open space for the fight that's about to go down."

"Attacking them in the middle of such an open space will be difficult, but we'll manage." Prowl said. "If we're detecting the space bridge now, then it means that we don't have a lot of time to sit and talk, so we better get moving."

The Autobots gathered their weapons and went to the ground bridge with their Minicon allies; with what's at stake, taking their little friends along wasn't so overkill anymore. The children had willingly chosen to stay behind, in case things went south again and they were needed to pick up the slack. It was something that even Prowl couldn't deny and he gave the humans a solemn nod before joining the others in front of the ground bridge, which came to life in a flash of green light.

"Autobots," He said, facing his team. "I know that things look bad right now, and I'm not going to sugarcoat it. There is a high probability that we might lose before Megatron can form a link to Cybertron. I don't think I need to tell you what will happen if we fail. We can't let our emotions get in the way of our mission-to stop the Decepticons and keep this planet safe from our war. Even before we left Cybertron, our war had spread to other worlds beyond our solar system, killed thousands. Despite what I say about humans, the last thing I want is to see a planet like this burned beyond recognition because of our war.

"Now the plan is simple; we let Jetfire lead the charge from above with an air strike. Then we charge in from all directions, spread their numbers thin and try to overwhelm them with our enhanced abilities. We have two objectives here, retrieving Prime and stopping that space bridge from activating above all else. I don't care how you do it, just keep it from fully powering up." He continued. "I can't guarantee that we'll all get back safe and sound but I just want you to know that whatever happens today, I am proud to serve alongside you all."

"Aww, so you really do care." Jetfire remarked, and got smacked across the head by Ironhide and Arcee. "Ow! Just lightening the mood."

"Ratchet will monitor the situation from the command center," Prowl explained. He then looked to the children. "And you three…will standby in case things aren't going well. I'm sorry to have you three involved, but…"

"It's okay Prowl. We know the risks." Darren said. He and Prowl shared a short glance, a silent apology to each other, before the Autobot SIC turned back to his team.

"All right Autobots. Transform and roll out!" He transformed into his alt mode, a police car, and drove into the bridge. The rest of the team followed suit, shifting into their alt modes and driving into the portal with their chosen Minicons. Arcee and Bulkhead gave the twins parting glances before they also took on their alt modes and drove into the portal.

"They'll be all right, won't they?" Annie asked, sounding strangely timid. "I mean, this isn't different from when we fought those Cardinals."

"They'll make it through this, Annie. We just need to trust them." Gina said. But even she didn't believe her words as that sense of dread grew in the back of her mind."

XXXXXX

The stargate was reaching the peak of its power, only two thirds of the way to its maximum power output before it could fold space. The gate was linked to the Nemesis' targeting computer that provided the exact coordinates of Cybertron based on the Cybertronian stellar guide, and the entire structure was surrounded by a torus shaped ring of power cells holding hephaestium crystals to provide the majority of the power. Electricity lanced through the spires and traveled through the power cells, generating enough power to activate the particle collider and transwarp drive. It was a glorious sight for Megatron and the fact that it ushered in his total victory made the whole experience positively euphoric.

"Soundwave, how much power do we have?"

"We are at 87 percent, Megatron." Soundwave reported. "Estimate time until full power is reached-20 miuntes."

"Good, good," Megatron smiled and turned to his assembled Decepticons. "Decepticons! Witness the moment of our victory and savor it! Today, we reunite with our comrades on Cybertron and gain enough numbers to tear this world apart! On this day, our war will end and we will finally be able to revitalize our world and make it the glorious empire it was meant to be!" He stared at Starscream as he said his next words. "This is the reward that you'll get when you work under my steady hand. We have lost much while stuck on this world, but the fruits of our labor are finally ready to harvest."

As Megatron addressed his soldiers, Prowl, Arcee and Jazz looked over the hill they were hiding behind to scout the area. The team had split up, with Ironhide, Bulkhead and Wheeljack attacking from the north, and them attacking from the south. Jetfire was circling the area high enough that the Decepticons wouldn't be able to sense him. They were also wearing scramblers to keep Soundwave from hearing their thoughts as they approached the stargate.

"I got a visual on Prime," Prowl said, magnifying his optical vision to get a good look at Optimus. "He's functional, not too seriously wounded, just superficial damages. They have him in magna-cuffs in between two stone pillars near the southeast corner of the monument. They have him guarded by Ravage and Laserbeak. No other Minicons in sight."

"Looks like you're up, Sparky." Jazz glanced down at Sparkplug. "You up for this?"

"Of course I am," Sparkplug said. "Anything to save Optimus."

"Then you better get going before our opening closes." Arcee turned to Peppercat and Undertone. "Take care of her, okay?"

Undertone nodded and transformed to his motorcycle form and led the way with Sparkplug and Peppercat following after him. Prowl contacted Ironhide on the other side of the field.

"Ironhide, you're up." He said.

Ironhide grinned and sent a signal to Jetfire before combining his two cannons to form his signature "boom-stick". "Showtime."

XXXXXX

Jetfire wasted no time in delivering his payload- a plasma density charge. He opened his bomb bay and dropped three of them right down on the Decepticons. Thundercracker, who was the only one who looked up on reflex, saw the bombs and cursed loudly.

"We've got incoming!"

The Decepticons scattered, but the charges hit the ground, detonating with great force and blasting them apart. Megatron crashing into one of the spires and saw Jetfire fly over them.

"Kill him!" Megatron roared at his Seekers. Skywarp teleported into the air with Starscream and Thundercracker to pursue Jetfire.

Ironhide used the chaos to run over the hill and fire his super cannon, not at Megatron, but at Soundwave, hitting the spymaster in the back and knocking him to the ground. That alone was the signal for the rest of the Autobots to charge Stonehenge from both sides.

"We've got Autobots!" Nightshade flew into the air and fired Gandiva at Ironhide's group, blasting Bulkhead off his feet. "Form a perimeter around the stargate! Don't let them through!"

As the battle kicked off, Sparkplug, Undertone and Peppercat approached Optimus's position. Laserbeak saw them coming, but Peppercat pushed off the ground with her powerful legs and lunged at the Minicon. She slammed her head into Laserbeak's face and knocked him to the ground, switching to robot mode and dug her knee into his neck to keep him from making a noise. Undertone jumped onto the stone holding the magna cuffs and got to work on cutting through the iron bonds.

"Sparkplug?" Optimus whispered.

"We're going to get you out, Optimus." Sparkplug climbed on to the other stone holding Prime, but he was taken down by Ravage's large form. He grunted as he hit the ground avoided the bullets shot at him by the feline Minicon.

"Lord Megatron, Prime is al-" Ravage's voice was cut off as Undertone threw one of his swords into the back of his neck, emerging through his underside and stabbing right through his vocal processor. Unfortunately, Megatron heard him and saw the Minicons freeing Optimus.

"No, no, no!" Megatron roared and fired a blast at Undertone. The white Minicon ninja managed to free one of Prime's hands before jumping off the boulder to avoid the deadly beam. Then Megatron turned his attention to Sparkplug and leveled his cannon at the yellow mech. "I should have done this from the start!"

Megatron fired his cannon and sent a plasma beam heading straight at Sparkplug. The Minicon saw his life flash before his eyes as it neared him, but before it could vaporize his tiny body, Optimus jumped in front of him. As the beam hit his shoulder, Optimus fired a blast from his ion cannon that caught Megatron in the face, making his stagger back in pain. Optimus charged Megatron, ramming his shoulder into Megatron's torso. They both tumbled to the ground, but Optimus got up fast enough to land a solid punch to the side of Megatron's face before the warlord slammed him to the ground again. Optimus kicked him off and got to his feet.

"No, I will not let you ruins my plans!" Megatron snarled. "Not when I'm so close!"

"Then you'll just have to face with being disappointed again, Megatron." Optimus said. Sparkplug drove up to him and power-linked with the Prime, deploying his glowing hot blade from his forearm.

Megatron charged at Optimus, but Optimus tore a boulder from the ground and slammed it into his face. Optimus riddled him with powerful punches to his face and chest, not giving Megatron a chance to fight back. When he got stabbed in the leg by the heated blade, Megatron lost his patience and called for reinforcements.

"Decepticons!"

Starscream and Blackout came to his aid. Blackout fired a sonic blast that knocked Optimus over, and Starscream fired his null ray, but Optimus rolled away and caught Megatron's kick. He elbowed Megatron in the face and jumped away to face his three adversaries.

"It doesn't matter how many of you come at me," Optimus growled. "I'll take you all on!"

XXXXXX

Arcee saw Optimus fighting the three Cons at once and ran to help him, only to have a knife thrown at her head. She leaned back just enough to let the knife fly over her face and shot back forward to block a kick from Flamewar with her arm.

"Your reflexes are as fast as ever sis." Flamewar smirked.

"No, you're just getting sloppy." Arcee retorted. She drew her sword and swung at Flamewar, who kicked her away and fired a few bursts from her crossbow. They hit Arcee's arms, but she ran through it and leapt at Flamewar. She missed hitting Flamewar's head, but managed to slam her knee into her face to knock her back.

"I should've killed you back on Cybertron," Flamewar growled, wiping energon from her split lip. "It woulve saved me the trouble of going trying to slag you now."

"There are a lot of things you've should've done, Flamewar." Arcee said, slashing at Flamewar's head. The huntress ducked under her swords and tried to get in close to behead Arcee, but the pink Autobot stabbed her sword between them, almost shoving the blade up Flamewar's skull had she not moved her head in time.

"You know sis, I've been thinking," She grinned. "After I kill you and help Megs take over the world, I should pay your little boy toy a visit. Should I give him a swift death or make him watch as I flay his sisters alive?"

"You couldn't even get the job done when you had me in chains, what make you coming after them any different?" Arcee taunted.

Flamewar hissed and ran at Arcee, their blades clashing. With their banter over, the sisters continued their war anew.

XXXXXX

Optimus, despite being wounded, was holding his own against the three Decepticons. With so much at stake, he couldn't hold back now. They still had a chance to stop this before things went too far.

He had Starscream in a headlock and the Seeker was firing his cannons wildly as he tried to get free. Megatron came at him from behind, but Optimus spun his body around to kick him in the face before tossing Starscream away and backhanding the Con to the ground. Blackout swung his rotor blades into Prime's back, digging into his armor, but Optimus knocked his arm away with a slash of his blade. Starscream transformed and fired two cruise missiles that hit Prime in the chest and blasted him back.

"Ngh!" Optimus grunted as he hit the ground, his chest panels smoking. He lifted his ion cannon, but Megatron grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder and into the ground.

"It's too late to stop this, Optimus!" Megatron said. He kicked Optimus in the face hard enough to chip away some of the metal from his mouth plate. "I've already won!"

Starscream fired another missile while Blackout shot a sonic blast from his thunderclap cannon, both hitting Optimus with tremendous explosive force and sending him flying almost twenty feet before he hit the ground in a shower of dirt and grass. Optimus groaned as he pushed himself up, smoke rising from his body and he sported numerous holes in his armor where the missiles burned into his chest and shoulder. But despite his wounds, he still managed to get to his feet.

"You are too late to stop this, Prime. Just stop trying and accept defeat." Megatron urged, inwardly amazed at how Prime was still able to move after taking a beating like that. "Why throw away your life so recklessly?"

"That's a question you should ask yourself Megatron." Optimus replied.

With a yell, he jumped up, power surging through his body as his left hand retracted into his forearm and an orange energo-blade, a miniature version of his axe, formed from his wrist. He slashed upwards and caught Megatron in the chest, leaving an ugly red gouge in his chest, and followed up with a stab to his abdomen. Megatron stumbled away as Optimus did a spin-kick to Blackout's face and he swung his blade down to sever the large Con's arm, rotor blades and all. With his axe, he spun around in a circle and jammed the sharp side of the blade into Starscream's shoulder. Starscream cried out in pain as Optimus kicked him away and tore the axe blade from his shoulder, tearing away armor, energon and circuits in a gory mess.

Optimus returned to Megatron, stabbing his blade into Megatron thigh and punching him in the nose with an uppercut from his axe hand that sent him falling onto his back. Starscream shot a null blast at his back, but Optimus dodged the blast and grabbed Starscream's arm, karate chopping the limb off and smacking the Con in the face with it.

Blackout stumbled at him and threw a punch that Optimus caught and in one move, jumped onto his back. Optimus tore off a jagged piece of Blackout's armor and stabbed it into his eye before pulling. Blackout screamed as Optimus pulled his head apart in a shower of sparks and metal, tearing it right off his shoulders. Optimus jumped off Blackout's body and let it fall to the ground.

"Piece of tin." Optimus panted.

XXXXXX

Bulkhead rolled to the side as the ground next to him exploded, sending dirt everywhere and nearly blowing out his audio receptors. He felt laser bolts hitting his thick armor and returned fire to force Thundercracker back. Up above, Jetfire and Skywarp were engaged in an aerial dogfight, with stray missiles and particle blasts hitting the ground around Stonehenge. It was chaos all around.

"Jackie, how long do we have?" Bulkhead asked.

"A few minutes at best. We've been fighting a lot but we're being held at bay for too long." Wheeljack said.

"That's because of the arrow-sligning turkey raining down death on us!" Ironhide fired a fission blast at Nightshade, which she dodged and returned fire with an ether arrow from her bow. Ironhide jumped to the side but fell on his face as the explosion knocked him off balance. "I'm getting sick of that thing!"

"Thundercracker and Knockout are holding Prowl and Jazz back." Wheeljack yelped and ducked under the sharp talons of Laserbeak as he swopped down over him. Then he saw Soundwave limping towards them, his gun trained on the engineer. "And we've got Soundwave."

"He won't be a problem anymore!" Bulkhead ran forward and went into his vehicle mode, speeding towards Soundwave. Soundwave fired a concussion blast that hit Bulkhead head on, but his armor took most of the damage and only slowed down a bit. Soundwave stopped shooting and waited until Bulkhead was just a foot away from him before he jumped to the side.

"Surprise!" Frenzy and Rumble appeared and attacked Bulkhead's left side. Rumble's pile driver arms slammed into the green Autobot with immense physical force, and Frenzy's sonic scream sent the large hummer tumbled down the hill.

"Bulkhead!" Wheeljack exclaimed. He fired two explosive shells at the Minicons, detonating the projectile and catching Rumble and Frenzy in the explosion.

Soundwave ran at him and fired a sonic wave from the dish that emerged from his arm, but Wheeljack transformed and drove away from the attack, taking a hard left and returning to robot mode before firing his gun. He caught Soundwave in the shoulder, but a dozen mini-rockets hit him in one single burst, knocking him to the ground.

Bulkhead crashed into one of the pillars and hit the ground amidst a rain of stone and sparks. He reverted to his natural form and lied on the ground on his back in pain and disorientation. He forgot the Soundwave like to roll with his Minicon posse when he wasn't working with his fellow Cons. Damn that hurt.

"Huh?" Bulkhead groaned as he heard a loud humming next to him.

He lifted his head and saw that he was lying next to a generator that had a grey spherical device in the center, taking in energy and glowing brightly. It was a transwarp drive! Realizing what this was, Bulkhead grinned and shifted his hand into his wrecking ball, lifting it above the drive. Nightshade, who happened to look his way, cursed as she saw what he was doing.

"No!" Nightshade took aim, but Bulkhead had already slammed his weapon into the machine. "Slag!"

The transwarp drive was crushed and the machine it was connected to exploded from the pounding it took. Bulkhead gave a thumbs up to Nightshade and went to help Wheeljack.

"And that's all she wrote."

XXXXXX

Megatron hissed in pain as he clutched the sparkling wound in his waist. His whole body ached and the damages he took from Prime's energy weapons were smoking as the metal around them was warped and melted. He looked up and saw his stargate start to crackle, looking like it was finally starting to open…but then the lights slowly died down and the energy transference flowed to a stop. Megatron painfully got to his feet as he stared at the smoking wreck that used to be the transwarp drive.

"My stargate!" Megatron shouted. All that planning, all that work…

"Ngh, Megatron, we must retreat." Starscream groaned, holding onto his severed arm and leaking energon from cuts and dents in his face. Getting smacked in the face by his own arm did not do his appearance any favors. "The Autobots outnumber us now and we've lost the stargate."

Megatron didn't say anything, he just stared at the depowered stargate that he was so close to opening. Nightshade, upon seeing that Megatron wasn't going to be any help now, gave the order to retreat and had Soundwave open a ground bridge. Barricade forced Knockout to help him drag Blackout's headless body into the bridge back to the Nemesis.

"It's over, Megatron." Optimus said, looking no better than Megatron. "You've lost."

"No, no, no! I refuse to lose to you, Prime! This day if mine!" Megatron roared and transformed into his tank mode. He pointed his cannon barrel at the N-17 container. "If I can't win, then neither will you. Let this world tear itself asunder!"

"Megatron, no!" Optimus ran to stop him, but he was too late.

Megatron fired a blast, which cut through the air and blasted the container to pieces, making it explode. The Autobots watched in horror as red smoke rose from the container and the wind started to spread the mist over Stonehenge.

"I'll see you in hell, Prime!" Megatron cackled as he drove into the ground bridge and it disappeared.

"Autobots, retreat! Don't let the mist touch you!" Prowl shouted.

Optimus watched as the Hate Plague fell down upon his Autobots. They quickly vacated the area, but Arcee and Bulkhead were not so lucky. Being too close to the stargate, they were hit by the mist first, and not even a second later they started to convulse and twitch. Their vibrant colorful bodies were tinted red as they started to growl and snarl like animals. Arcee leapt on Bulkhead, scratching at his face, and the large mech threw her off and tried to smash her with his wrecking ball.

"Arcee!" Peppercat almost ran for her friend, but Sparkplug disengaged from Optimus and held her back. "Let go, nya!"

"Don't, or you'll go rabid too!" Sparkplug said and looked up at Optimus. "Optimus, is there a way to stop it?"

"No, there is no cure, and it's spreading too fast to properly contain." Optimus said. He clenched his fists as he thought of the ramifications that would come from this. The plague would cause every man, woman and child to devolve into animals, kill each other, start global wars that would burn this planet into a cinder. Even the children won't be safe from this…

"No, I won't let it end like this!" Optimus ran into Stonehenge and into the red fog, to everyone's horror.

"Optimus!" Prowl called out, but the Prime ignored him as he focused on maintaining his senses.

Optimus walked into the heart of the fog, and he could already feel his mind starting to go blank, fill with an uncontrollable rage at everything, everyone. But he kept his sanity in check and focused on the Matrix within him.

"Matrix of Leader, I call upon you," He closed his eyes and summoned the power of the relic within him.

Optimus's chest cavity opened to reveal a magnificent, glowing blue spherical crystal encased within an orange metal shell with handles at the sides. This was the Matrix of Leadership, an ancient relic that grants a Prime his status, and has caused so many pain in its long history.

"KRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Optimus roared as his whole body was wracked with mind numbing pain. The Matrix emitted a blinding light that lit up the entire field and a bluish white dome expanding outward to contain the plague. To the amazement of all those present, he began to absorb the red mist into his body. The Hate Plague was absorbed from the earth, the air, even extracted from Arcee and Bulkhead and was taken into Prime's very being. The process lasted only for a minute, but watching it felt like an eternity. When all of the chemical was absorbed into his body, the dome exploded in a pillar of light that shot into the sky before fading away.

Smoke filled the area as the Autobots ran to aid their friends. Bulkhead and Arcee were weak and on the verge of unconsciousness, but they were fully cured. Prowl and Jazz approached Optimus, who was on his knees, head lowered to the ground. Red energy crackled around his form as he sat on his knees, trembling slightly. The air around him shimmered as if he was giving off heat.

"Optimus, you okay?" Jazz asked.

Optimus said nothing as he stood up to his full height, checking his limbs.

"Prime?" Prowl called out. He reached out to lightly touch Optimus's shoulder, but then Prime spun around and sucker punched the Autobot in the face.

"I feel fine," Optimus said with a darker edge to his tone. He looked at the rest of his team, his crystal blue eyes now a deep crimson that shown with malice. "In fact, I feel absolutely divine!"

He took out his ion cannon and opened fire on the other Autobots. Ironhide came at him from behind and grabbed his arm.

"Prime, what the hell are you doing?" Ironhide grunted. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Optimus said and ripped his arm from Ironhide's grasp. With that same arm, he punched Ironhide to the ground. "I just had a different world view, that's all."

Optimus lifted his hands, which began to crackle with energy and slammed his fist into the ground, kicking up a dust storm. When the dust settled, he was gone with no trace of him left behind. The Autobots were now alone among the ruins of the deactivated stargate, feeling worse than they did coming in.

They just lost their leader again, and in the worst way possible.


	3. Shattered Glass part 1

Chapter 3-Shattered Glass part 1

This was a disaster. A disaster that Sparkplug was forced to compare it to the Cardinal's rampage. Things were going so well; Bumblebee was reported to be alive and recovering in the med lab under Ratchet's care; they located Optimus and later freed him, and stopped Megatron's "stargate" from fully activating. Then Megatron had to go and be a sore loser about it, releasing the Hate Plague and forcing Optimus to risk his life to stop it from spreading. Something went wrong and now Optimus had gone rogue and was running around in Europa by himself after tacking his friends.

That was two days ago.

Sparkplug stood in the command center watching the other Autobots try to figure what happened to Optimus while Ratchet and Wheeljack worked on locating their leader. It was another tense conversation that he hoped he wouldn't be present to hear again today.

"So you said that he acted like this after using the Matrix to destroy the plague?" Ratchet asked.

"I wouldn't say destroy, doc," Jetfire said. "More like absorb it all like a sponge. I got that much from his light show before I almost went blind."

"Optimus cured Arcee and Bulkhead with the Matrix." Jazz sighed wearily, already feeling the stress of the past few hours catching up to him. "I didn't know it could do that."

"A lot is not known about the Matrix's capabilities. But I doubt that it was meant to be used like this." Ratchet shook his head and leaned his elbows on the table. "If Optimus absorbed the virus into the Matrix, it stands to reason that he's infected, but on a much smaller scale. He still retains his sane mind, but his base instincts have taken over, turning him violent."

"Do you think we can reverse it?" Arcee asked. The question sounded weak even to her.

"I don't know until I can properly study him. But I'm afraid that the longer it stays in his system, the deeper the infection will spread." Ratchet said. "Be prepared to fight him if you can't convince him to come peacefully."

"And if we can't cure him?" Prowl asked. That made everyone go quiet. It was the elephant in the room that no one wanted to mention, but Prowl wanted to get this out of the way as soon as possible.

"What are you saying, Prowl?" Ironhide questioned his voice dangerously low.

"You know what I mean. If we fail to find a cure for Optimus, what do we do with him?" Prowl looked at everyone present, even Sparkplug. "In his current condition, he's a danger to all of us and the humans. Prime is a powerhouse on his own, and having a strong warrior like him running around unchecked will cause problems for everybody."

Ironhide slammed his hands on the table, leaving dents in the metal and glared at Prowl. "I don't like what you're suggesting, Prowl."

"You don't have to like it. I'm just vocalizing what we're all thinking." Prowl leaned forward and stared into Ironhide's eyes. "What do we do if we can't cure Prime?"

"Don't give me that slag!" Ironhide shouted. "We almost lost Bumblebee and now you're thinking about killing Prime?"

"I never said that, and killing him is the last thing I want to think about, but you need to use your head for once, Ironhide. What are we going to do, try to keep him in a cage until we stumble upon some miracle?"

"You would think like that wouldn't you?" Ironhide sneered. "Because trying to be optimistic to keep up morale is too emotional for our stone cold strategist!"

"I'm trying to salvage a mess here!" Prowl yelled, finally losing his temper. "I'm asking these questions because none of you had the courage to! That's my job, doing what you all won't bring yourselves to do! Don't make me the enemy because I do my job efficiently, because I know that you're thinking about the same thing!"

"Enough of that!" Jazz yelled. Seeing the normally laid back bot raise his voice was enough to get the two mechs to settle down for the moment. "Ironhide, Prowl's got a point, we don't know what to do if we can't find a cure for Prime, but that doesn't mean that we'll shoot him on sight. We just need to subdue him long enough to get him back to the Ark before the Cons, or heaven forbid Oz, get their hands on him. Don't break down on us now big guy."

Ironhide glared at Prowl before sitting back down and sighing, the tension fading his body and he suddenly looked his age. "I know, Jazz. It's just that…I'm not looking forward to anything other than getting Prime back alive. We went through too much just to have him gunned down by his own men."

"I know, Ironhide, I know." Jazz said and looked at the computer terminal. "Let's just hope that we can find him before anyone else does."

XXXXXX

Soundwave was hard at work at the Nemesis' communications center, trying to use the global sensor array combined with his outlier powers to locate the now rogue Optimus Prime. They had learned of Prime's apparent corruption thanks to Laserbeak (who was still at the site) and Megatron wasted no time in ordering the spymaster to locate the Autobot leader. He didn't know why Megatron wanted him to do this, but he wisely kept his comments to himself.

"Ugh, we're wasting our time trying to find Prime," Starscream grumbled. He and Nightshade stood on the bridge watching Soundwave do his job. "With the Autobots down two bots we should use this opportunity to gather as much energon as possible while they're low on firepower."

"It's not your call to make, Starscream. Megatron's orders are absolute." Nightshade said. "But I am curious as to why we're looking for Prime. I thought you'd be happy he was gone."

"I am, but I realized that Prime is an asset that could prove valuable to our campaign on this planet." Megatron said. "With the power of a Prime on our side, the chances of our victory have risen greatly."

"What? Did you just realize how inept you are at trying to kill Prime, and now you're offering him a seat at the table." Starscream snorted. "Just when I thought you couldn't be more disappointing."

Megatron backhanded Starscream into the wall. He marched over to him and held the Seeker up by his neck. "You will show me respect, Starscream! I am not in the mood for your attitude!"

He threw Starscream to the floor and walked over to his throne. With the loss of both the reactor and the stargate, they were back at square one, low on energy, rations, men and no way to get off this sticking rock. Having Prime on their side could tip the scales in their favor.

"Have you found him, Soundwave?"

"Negative. Optimus Prime's signal could not be detected. I suggest that we send out recon units to local energon deposits to look for any signs of habitation."

Megatron nodded. Optimus was wounded in their last battle, and without access to a CR chamber, he would have to rely on his natural repair systems to fix his damages. Prime was known for using the Matrix to heal himself from even life threatening wounds, but the process would be sped up with energon.

"Send out Barricade, Flamewar and Knockout to Europa," Megatron ordered. "And tell to do not engage, only locate his position. It would be counterproductive to fight him in this state."

"Yes, Megatron."

XXXXXX

Annie tried to focus on doing her homework, make-up work from her technology teacher, Mr. Ting (or Farting as she liked to see him as). It was just one of her many projects that she had to finish to get her grades up, at Gina's insistence. But it was hard to focus when her brother was practicing his telekinesis a few feet away from her and it was cool to look at.

With the Autobots still working on finding Optimus, and Gina and Penny helping the Minicons do the same, staying around the Ark was a bit depressing. The twins had elected to go out into the forest around Mount St. Helens, where they could have some peace and quiet while also staying out of everyone's way.

"Hya!"

Darren let out a yell and he stomped his foot and sent a boulder flying. He clenched his fist and the rock was split into four pieces, as if cut by a large blade. Waving his hand, he sent the four shards into a tree, stabbing them deep into the trunk. Annie whistled and clapped for the great performance.

"Nice job bro! You're doing great!" Annie said. It was great to see him actually doing something with his powers right now. He was finally embracing his nature as an esper, and it did wonders for his telekinetic ability. She doubted that the people at The Esper Agency could teach him any more than what he's already learned.

"He's getting better." Kevin said as he walked up to the rock she was sitting on. As Penny's partner in crime/handler, he rarely interacted with the twins and Gina these days, but they made sure to stay in contact with each other.

"Of course he is, he's my twin." Annie said proudly and looked down at the boy. "How are things back at home base?"

"Tense," He sighed. "Everyone looks like they're about to lose their minds. Wheeljack nearly punched Prowl in the jaw when the guy tried to rush him. Thank god Jazz was there."

"The bots are trained to operate when Optimus isn't around, like in a disaster situation. But with him gone rogue, potentially crazy, and open to attack from both the Cons and OZ, they're on a tight schedule." Annie shrugged. "No one knows what Prime is gonna be like when they find him, or if they can get him back peacefully."

"How come they can't find him? I thought Teletran-1 was the most advanced computer they had." Kevin said.

"Even Teletran has its limits." Darren said, sipping from his bottle of water as he walked over to him. "For some reason, they're not finding Prime on any of their scanners, radar or even their life lines. It's like he completely disappeared off the grid."

"Maybe he changed his appearance to escape detection." The pyrokinetic suggested. That made the twins' faces fall. They hadn't thought of that.

"So now we've got to find a truck that's doesn't have Prime's colors in Europa. Fucking wonderful." Annie sighed. "We can't even detect his energon or Spark signature either."

"How come?"

"I don't know. Gina said some crap about something corrupting the signals. Probably the hate plague that infected him."

The three children sat in silence, with nothing but the rustling leaves to fill the silence. They didn't know what else to say. Nothing they said or did could really change just how dire the situation was. That feeling of helplessness they felt when they first met the Autobots came back in full force and none of the children like this.

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" Kevin asked softly.

"Give the Autobots their space and try to keep calm," Darren said, tossing a rock into the pond. He flicked his finger and made the stone bounce across the water to the other side. "If they don't have that, then we might as well roll over and give up."

"Way to be positive Darren." Annie said.

"Thanks sis."

XXXXXX

Gina wasn't faring any better than her friends, and she spent her alone time working on her recent projects that she had been slacking off on to get her mind off Optimus's disappearance. She was alone in her lab, which was a repurposed underground nuclear bunker that her grandfather had built near the house. Here, in the solitude of her humble (unkept) abode, Gina found peace in her various creations; a small clockwork spider she made when she was seven, a robot dog that she outfitted with a special AI that acted like a real dog, and the tiny golden rose that opened and closed at the press of a button, something that she worked on with Darren.

But for the past two months, Gina was working on something she didn't normally use-weapons. After the Brigadoon incident, Gina had been working on creating personal weapons that she and the twins could use when not piloting their Talos on missions. Energy weapons and shielding that she was making with some help from Rollbar and Liftor. It was made with defense in mind, but she kept it a closely guarded secret since she knew that the Autobots wouldn't condone her making weapons. Thankfully their guardians weren't snitches.

The weapon that Gina was working on was a plasma beam projector dubbed the "Gina Blaster". It was a gun that fired plasma beams by ionizing hydrogen gas stored within a photon accelerator and sending it through a magnetic bottle that formed the barrel in the form of a blast of white hot plasma particles that could either break bones or penetrate solid steel. It was a lethal weapon that wasn't cheap to make and required a lot of revising with the Minicons helping her, but the science behind it was painfully simple (to her). Gina didn't like brandishing guns at people, but the next time she faced off against Soundwave's pets, she wanted to give them a painful surprise.

'All that's left is to find a way to fire the damn thing without having the barrel explode in my face.' Gina thought. She needed a way to keep the ionized gas in the photon accelerator without having said particles spin violently from the charge given off by the blaster's power source-a pair of AA batteries.

"Ms. Gina."

Gina looked up to see Sara walking down the stairs, clad in her usual white dress, her pale synthetic skin looking almost translucent in the dim light. One would mistake her for human if not for the pupiless emerald eyes.

"You don't have to call me that, Sara. Just Gina is fine." The blonde said before putting her work down and rubbing her forehead.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sara asked.

"Just tired. I've been working on this thing for an hour and a half now and I don't think I've blinked at all during that time."

Sara noted how tense her "mistress" looked and easily discerned that her stress was not from stalling in her weapons' design. "You are worried for Optimus Prime."

"…Yes, I am. I knew something like this would happen. Just when things look good for us, it's like Gaia herself just screws it all up with a wave of her hand." Gina shook her head. "We fix one problem and another starts. And now we're facing the possibility of losing Optimus for good."

Sara looked at her before she sat down next to Gina and looked at her pale hands. "Someone once told me that if you find yourself stuck on a problem, you should find a way around it. If the usual solutions evade you, then think outside the box. Should the conventional abandon you, seek out the unconventional. There are more than one way to solve a problem, you just need to approach it from all angles with an open mind. Don't be afraid to take risks."

Gina looked at Sara and the android stared right back at her. That sounded almost like something she would say, try an unconventional solution to solve an unconventional problem.

"Sara," Gina began. "Who told you that?"

Sara opened her mouth and Gina thought she was about to say her name, but instead answered with, "Someone who I cared for greatly. In your terms, she could be considered my mother."

"What was her name?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both."

They stared at each other for another long minute before Gina sighed and went back to work. "Just leave me alone, Sara."

Sara nodded and stood up, but before she left, she gave Gina some parting words. "Trust in the Autobots, Ms. Gina. It is good of you to feel the need to help your friends, but let them handle some of their problems on their own. They have already become too dependent on you for help, and they need to solve their own problems by themselves."

With that said, Sara went back up the stairs and left Gina alone again. The girl groaned and banged her head on the table, making her glasses tilt on her face. Who would've thought that she'd be getting words of wisdom from Sara of all people. Granted, she did notice subtle changes in her mannerisms. Sara was starting to display some visible emotion and was more social with the other humans and even the Minicons. Perhaps being around humans was starting to help the android fit in to society.

Thinking back to Optimus's last words to her, Gina pulled the key-card from her pocket and studied it. She wondered what exactly it was. It must've been really important if it came from Prime's mentor; Ratchet had once told her that Optimus was close to Alpha Trion, a wise mech older than even him. It certainly looked pretty, silver with small Cybertronian runes etched into the metal. She ran her fingers along the smooth metal, feeling the grooves of the runes it sported, and wondered what they meant.

Then something happened.

As soon as her finger ran over a symbol near the center of the device, Gina's vision went white as the key-card started to glow brightly in her hand. She felt the world around her fade away and saw her vision dominated by stars and planets and nebulae. Her body felt light and ethereal, like she was only there in spirit, but despite this everything felt so real. Her world was a dull blue, like she was swimming in an ocean, but instead of water she was swimming amidst a vast array of stars. A sea of stars.

Then her surroundings changed again, this time it wasn't as fluid and the transition felt uncomfortable. She saw images, flickers of what she could only explain was the past and present. So many windows into time and space, she could barely process it all. She saw warring armies of cybertronians battling in a scorched metallic landscape, one army led by a mech with white armor and wing-like extensions on his back. She saw New York City burning with Decepticon warships hovering over the skyscrapers, a damaged Megatron holding a dying white femme in his arms, an army of colossal robots-titans-attacking Cybertron, and…her. Gina saw herself, older and taller and clad in a white bodysuit, but her hair was white and she lacked her glasses. Her older self was working hard on something on a table in a lab of sorts.

Lying on the table was…Sara?!

Then just as she wanted to see more, Gina felt herself get pulled back into her body. It was like waking from an intense dream. Her eyes popped open and she found herself back in her workshop again, panting and covered in sweat.

"What was that?" Gina whispered. She looked at the key in her hand and realized that it felt warm. "Was that you?"

She wasn't expecting it to answer her, but she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed at the silence.

XXXXXX

The Autobots had assembled in the control room where Wheeljack was working on the terminal, bringing up a map of western Europa.

"All right Wheeljack, you said you've found a way to locate Prime, so spill." Ironhide said impatiently.

"I just realized that we're going about this all wrong. We've been trying to search for Optimus using the same conditions through which we use on other cybertronians, but that's not the case here." Wheeljack said. "Optimus isn't normal anymore. He's been infected with the Hate Plague and turned into something corrupted. It's altered him in ways that are more than just mental, but physical as well."

"Yeah, and how does that fit into our problem?" Bulkhead asked.

"We've had Teletran-1 looking for Optimus under the parameters of a normal, pure mech, but he's not pure anymore. With his energon and life signals corrupted, we have to change our search parameters.

"I see where you're going with this." Jazz said. "Boss bot isn't a normal bot anymore. He's a walking virus carrier."

"Exactly. Optimus is infected with a virus, a walking hazard zone. A plague bot." Wheeljack pressed a button and multiple points of light appeared on the map. "And the hate has its own radiation signature. So if we focus on finding non-Terran energy signatures…"

He typed in a command and the points of light started blinking out until only one was left, near the border of the Arcadian Empire.

"Way to go, Jackie! You found him!" Bulkhead laughed and smacked his friend on the back, almost knocking him over.

"Good work, Wheeljack, but we don't have any time to lose. We need to mobilize now." Prowl said, already making his way to the ground bridge. "Autobots, roll out!"

XXXXXX

A lone flat-nosed Peterbilt truck drove down the road in the Arcadian countryside. The truck was driving well above the speed limit, and didn't even bother to slow down at the turns. It was clear that this vehicle had no qualms about running over anything in its way, which wasn't a problem since the road was empty.

Suddenly the truck found itself being followed by a collection of vehicles, ranging from fancy sports cars to pick-up trucks and even a police car with its siren switched on. Despite this, the truck didn't stop, but it sped up, making a hard left onto the grassy fields that led to the small forest near the farmlands. The other Autobots quickly followed it, making sure to keep it in their sights. The truck barreled through the trees without pause, but before it could get too deep into the underbrush, Jetfire jumped down from above, landing on the ground and cutting off the truck's escape route. The Autobots went into their robot modes and Wheeljack pointed his scanner at the truck.

"Jackie, is it him?" Bulkhead asked. Wheeljack waited to get a reading and got his answer when indicator went into the red zone.

""It's him." He said. Prowl nodded and took a step forward.

"Prime? It's me, Prowl." Prowl said slowly, like he was talking to a wild predator. "You're sick and we need to get you back to base to help you get better."

The truck split apart in a burst of movement that made Jetfire and Prowl jump back in surprise. The transformation was unnervingly violent as parts rearranged themselves as his arms, legs and torso formed. Soon Optimus Prime stood in his full glory before his Autobots…only that he was different. His armor was midnight black, with his windshields crimson red and his eyes blazing orange. His face was marred by a sneer as he glared at the Autobots.

"Sick? Me?" Optimus growled, steam shooting from his exo-structure. His voice no longer sounded calm and reassuring, but had a menacing tone that bordered on savagery. "Perish the thought. I feel better than ever!

"Optimus, please," Arcee said. "We just want to help."

"Help? I am a Prime!" Optimus yelled. "I need no help!"

In a feat of astounding speed that the Autobots were sure he never had before, Optimus leapt forward at them like a rabid lion. They scattered as he threw a punch at them, his fist leaving a deep crater in the ground. He got up and charged at Prowl, backhanding him into a tree. Arcee drew her swords and charged at Optimus. When she tried to slash at him, he sidestepped her and punched her in the back, grabbing her armor panels and slamming her to the ground. He started wailing on her with strong blows until Bulkhead came at him from behind and hit him in the side of the head with his wrecking ball, knocking him away. Bulkhead ran at him and tried to hit him again, but Optimus grabbed the wrecking ball and threw him at another tree, sending the mech through the thick trunk.

"I hate this job." Jetfire grumbled and took out his particle cannon, shooting intense orange bursts at Optimus. They hit Optimus in the chest and pushed him back, but otherwise did little to keep Optimus at bay. Prime grabbed Bulkhead's arm and threw him at Jetfire, sending both bots crashing to the ground in a jumbled heap. Bulkhead groaned looked up just in time to see Optimus charging at him before Prime punched him so hard in the face that a shockwave reverberated in the air. Optimus took out his battle axe and was going to cut Bulkhead in two when Ironhide's missile fire got him in his side.

Ironhide ran at him, but Optimus slammed the flat of his axe blade into the red mech's chest, knocking him away. Wheeljack use his energo-whip to snatch Prime's axe and swung it around his body in a circle before slamming it into Optimus's face. He stumbled back, dazed and was open to Jazz's kick, which sent him stumbled into Ironhide's fist. Jazz and Ironhide attacked Prime with a quick one-two combo , hitting Optimus back and forth not giving him any opening to counterattack. Ironhide kicked Optimus to the ground and Jazz and Prowl pinned him down.

"Unhand me you fools!" Optimus roared.

"Sorry boss bot, but this if for your own good." Jazz grunted. Despite just giving Optimus a beat down, he was still giving them a hard time. This is the first time that Jazz wasn't glad for Prime's recovery powers.

But just when things were looking good for them, a ground bridge appeared in front of them and two white arrows flew out of the portal. They both his Jazz and Prowl in the chest, blasting them off Optimus. As Nightshade fired off a couple of arrows to keep the Autobots at bay, Megatron and Nightshade walked out of the ground bridge and made their way towards the infected Prime. Megatron and Optimus eyed each other, before Megatron smiled.

"You are a hard mech to track, Optimus." He said. "You've been busy."

"You could say that. But enough idle chatter, what do you want?" Optimus asked.

"To make you an offer that you will not refuse."

"And that offer is what exactly?"

"Power. The power to use your abilities for what they were meant for-to make our race the greatest in the universe." Megatron grinned. "And the chance to slaughter as many enemies as you like."

Optimus stared at Megatron for a moment before nodding. "You had me at slaughter. You have my attention."

Megatron smirked. "Then welcome to the winning team, Optimus Prime."

Arcee crawled to her knees as she watched Optimus enter the ground bridge with Megatron and Nightshade. She leapt up and ran after them in a desperate attempt to reach Optimus. But the portal vanished before she could reach it and she fell to the ground in despair.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

XXXXXX

Jetfire groaned as he walked out of the CR chamber, his body still ached from the ass whooping that Optims dealt to him. Looking at the other Autobots that were healing in the med bay, he sighed and leaned against the tank.

"Well that went well." He quipped. Prowl glared at him as Ratchet welded the torn armor pieces on his chest from where he was hit.

"Don't start, Jetfire."

Arcee sat on the medical slab with her head hung low. Darren and Peppercat were standing next to her in support. "He was right there. We were so close in getting him back."

"Don't worry Arcee, you'll get him back." Darren said.

"And how do you think we can do that now?" ironhide growled. "You saw how Prime smashed through us in that fight. Tell me, kid, how the hell do you expect us to get him back when we can't even get to him!"

"I don't know," Darren said calmly, not scared at all by Ironhide's aggression. "But I do know that yelling and groaning about it isn't going to solve a damn thing."

Ironhide would've smacked any other bot who mouthed off to him like that, but he forced himself to calm down when he realized how right Darren was. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling his titanium bones start to creak again from the stress.

"What's our next course of action?" He asked.

Everyone turned to Prowl and Jazz, the de facto leaders in Prime's place. They both didn't say anything immediately, coming to the same conclusion. Once they made a decision they knew was the only thing they could do.

"We wait and prepare, for now." Prowl said. He raised a hand to keep the others from talking over him. "I'm sorry but even though we know where the Nemesis is, its location is magnetically shielded. We can't attack it from the air and ground bridging in won't work either. Right now, we can only work on finding a solution."

XXXXXX

On the Nemesis, the Decepticons (what was left of them) were assembled in the bridge upon Megatron's orders. Starscream hung off on the side watching his team with unconcealed loathing. Looking at their assembled numbers, he had to lament how much his fellow Cons had taken a beating at the hands of the Autobots; they lost Lugnut and Scalpel, they had their ship severely damaged, and now they lost Blackout. That colossal failure with the stargate was just the last straw for him.

'This whole campaign is nothing but a failed project, but Megatron refuses to accept that fact. The Autobots keeping giving us the run around and if it's not them, it's those accursed monsters that try to kill us just for breathing!' Starscream gritted his teeth. 'Megatron chides me for being impulsive, but he hasn't won us any battles lately either. It will take a miracle to salvage this mess of a war!'

Any chatter that was going on was quickly silenced when Megatron and Nightshade walked into the room. Looking at his subordinates, Megatron started to speak.

"Decepticons, our prayers have been answered! Two days ago we lost the stargate and one of our won to the Autobots, but in the wake of our defeat, something glorious has happened. Optimus Prime has been infected with the very disease that he sought to destroy," Megatron said, inciting quiet whispers among the group. "Now the Autobots are without a leader, and are directionless. Without their precious Prime to hold their hands, they will self destruct and fall to ruin. And our new brother in arms will help us in delivering their due punishments."

Megatron stepped aside to allow his new partner to enter the bridge. As he stepped into the light, the Decepticons were all shocked speechless at their new addition.

"Together with our new ally, Optimus Prime, our victory is reassured. This world, and the war, will be ours!"

Despite looking displeased with this new development, the Decepticons saluted in unison at Megatron's rallying cry. "All hail Megatron!"

They looked very unhappy, but none were as enraged as Nightshade. She glared at the infected Prime with unconcealed hated in her violet eyes and knew that she was going to have some words with Megatron later. But for now, Megatron and Optimus both were anticipating their upcoming victory over their enemies.

Little did Megatron know, Optimus had another victory in mind.


	4. Shattered Glass part 2

Chapter 4-Shattered Glass part 2

The Autobots, Debbie and the children were staring at the images captured by Teletran-1. Sky-Spy had gotten footage of a Deepticon raid on a remote Dalmascan hephaestium refinery. The incident had happened in the dead of night, but the image resolution was clear enough that they could see the profiles of Barricade, Knockout and Optimus Prime. Seeing the normally peaceful Optimus tear into the refinery with unbridled savagery was deeply unsettling for the Autobots who knew him for as long as they could remember. It only confirmed their fears that the Cons were not going to pass up the opportunity to use Prime's power for their own nefarious deeds. No one wanted to entertain the possibility of a Megatron/Optimus team up. Together the two could be unstoppable.

"This is not good." Bulkhead said. "With Optimus on their side, we'll never get the jump on them."

"Thank you for the obvious statement, Bulkhead. Your powers of perception are riveting." Prowl said. Bulkhead growled and punched Prowl's right shoulder, almost knocking him off his feet.

"Don't get snippy with me because you and Jazz screwed up at the last minute!"

"Are you really going to go down that route?" Prowl retorted. "You try taking one of Nightshade's magic arrows head on and see if you can get up."

"Don't start bickering you two, we need to focus on what's important." Arcee said.

"Like getting Prime back and curing him of that fragging plague." Ironhide noted.

"How are you going to do that?" Kevin asked. "I thought that the hate plague had no cure."

"It doesn't. We're just hoping that Ratchet can find a way to find a cure for Optimus." Wheeljack explained with a sigh. "Not like we can do anything now unless we get Optimus back."

"And there's no chance in hell that's gonna happen." Jetfire grumbled.

Debbie, who was visiting the Ark after hearing what happened to Optimus, could only shake her head as she saw the Autobots start to fall apart at the seams. She knew from hearing old war stories from her grandfather of military units that fall to pieces after their commanding officer was seriously wounded or killed. From what High Wire had told her of Megatron, he was a very skilled military strategist who was more than just a powerful warrior. Having the Autobots tear themselves apart because of their missing leader joining the enemy would seem like something he would do to demoralize them.

Having had enough of their bickering and self-doubting, she put her fingers to her mouth and gave a sharp whistle that caught everyone's attention. "Guys, could you all just stop and take a breather for a few seconds? This is what Megatron wants, for you to fall apart as a team and start fighting amongst yourselves. I know Optimus isn't here to lead you and that Prowl isn't as accepting as a commander-no offense."

"None taken."

"But I'd expect you to know how to operate without Optimus guiding you everywhere. I doubt he would be pleased to see his team fighting each other because they couldn't save him." Debbie scolded them.

The children looked at the elder Radcliffe in shock and respect. Even Prowl seemed to be taken aback by the dressing down she gave them, and to his surprise, he found that he was agreeing with her.

"You're right," He nodded, a small, barely noticeable smile tugging at his lips. "We should know better than to be acting like this. We're a military group with centuries of experience under our belt and we should know how to put that experience to better use."

"Better not let Kup know you said that." Jetfire quipped.

"But what do we do?" Bulkhead asked.

"The only thing we can do is wait for the Cons to make a move again and ambush them." Jazz told them. "We'll have to grit our teeth and deal with the overwhelming factors involved."

"Sounds like a plan that's bound to go up in flames." Penny muttered.

"It's not like they can do anything else short of storming the Decepticons' home base, and that place is surrounded by nothing but open water." Darren said. "Let's just see how things go from here and help out when we can, right Gina? Gina?"

Darren's words couldn't reach Gina, for she was in a trance of some kind. Gina was closed off from the world around her as her spirit was thrown midst a wave of vivid colors, her senses askew as her perception of time became irrelevant. Her eyes were assaulted by the bright lights around her and she feared that she could go blind if this kept going. But the most tortuous sound was the high pitched ringing in her ears. As her out of body experience went deeper, the ringing grew louder and louder in Gina's ears to the point of deafening. She put her hands over her ears, but she could still hear the ungodly sound.

'Stop it! Just stop it!'

She tried to drown out the sound with her mind's voice, but even that couldn't help. Her head felt like it was about to split open and she was about to go mad. She tried to scream but she couldn't hear a sound come out of her mouth.

'STOP IT!'

The ringing stopped. Gina hesitantly opened her eyes to find that the chaos around her had stopped. She was no longer in a tunnel of bright colors, but was now floating in space. Gina had no idea where she was, but something told her to look up and she did. Gina gasped as she saw a large silver planet positioned above her, with glowing blue fault lines that made the entire planet glow even brighter. It was a metal world. A machine world.

The ringing was now a dull hum in her head, and as she stared up at the metal planet, she heard a soft voice whisper in her mind.

'Cybertron.'

"Gina!"

Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring into the worried eyes of Sara and Debbie. The Autobots stood over them, looking just as worried, with Ratchet at the forefront. It took a moment to gather her bearings before she realized that she was lying on the floor with tears running from her eyes.

"W-what happened?"

"That's what we would like to know, gold digger." Penny said, looking just as worried despite her words. "You just froze then fell to the floor screaming to stop the noise."

"I did?" Gina cleared her throat and made to stand up, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Did…any of you hear a noise just now?"

"What noise?" Debbie asked.

"A loud noise, like a high pitched ringing that was pounding in my head. It went on for what I thought was forever before it stopped. None of you heard it?" She looked at her friends and they all shook their heads. Gina gazed up at the Autobots. "What about you? Did you hear anything?"

"There was no ringing, Gina." Arcee said, kneeling down. "Just you screaming."

Gina sighed and rubbed her forehead. Ratchet noted how she looked tired, and the ease with which she was taking all of this.

"Gina, have you been getting any sleep lately?" Ratchet asked.

"Not really, I've just been having these little nightmares that would keep me up at night. Then came the day terrors like the one that just happened. I don't know how to explain it."

"Gina, this is something you shoulder told us about." Darren said. "Why didn't you tell us you were having these nightmares?"

"I didn't think they were that important to worry about. In fact, I never started having these stupid dreams until two days ago when…" Gina's eyes widened and she reached into her pocket to take out the silver key-card. "All this started when I got this thing."

"Gina," Jazz said, looking down at her in a rare show of surprise, which was mirrored by Prowl and Ratchet. "Where did you get that?"

"Optimus gave it to me before you guys went to get the container from Megatron. He asked me to keep it safe for him." She said. "Said that it was a memento from his friend, Alpha Trion."

"Gina, that relic is the Key to Vector Sigma. It's a very ancient and valuable relic that belongs to a Prime." Ratchet told her. Gina looked up at him in shock.

"Whoa, if that's the case, then one of you have it." Gina held the key up to them, but no one moved to take it. "What's wrong?"

"I'll take it if you guys are gonna be pansies about it." Jetfire reached down to take the key."

"Jetfire, wait!" Jazz moved to stop the flyer, but Jetfire's fingers had already touched the key card. It wasn't even a second before Jetfire cried out and pulled his hand back as the relic burned his fingertips on contact.

"Ow! What the hell was that?!" Jetfire winced.

"The key card can only be held by a Prime or someone chosen by one. Trying to touch it otherwise would have it burn hotter than ionized plasma." Ratchet said.

"You could've mention that sooner you old gasket!" Jetfire shouted.

Annie looked at the little card in Gina's hand warily. "Gina isn't going to burst into flames is she? We've had enough near death experiences in the past few days thank you very much."

"No, when Optimus gave her the key, it was linked to her bio-signature. Only she can touch it without harm." Ratchet hummed and rubbed his chin. "This relic grants access to Vector Sigma, the core of our homeworld of Cybertron. It is the source of all mechanical life on the planet. Every Cybertronian, Autobot, Decepticon, neutral, or colonist, is born from it, and when we die, our Sparks return to it."

"So it's a magical planetary core?" Penny wriggled her nose at the prospect. "You guys just keep getting weirder and weirder."

"If you want to be technical about it, you could describe it as a supercomputer, though little is known about what exactly it is." Ratchet replied. "But that's besides the point. The key could grant us a way to save Optimus."

"Now you've lost me." Jazz frowned.

"Jazz, the key is the only way to grant access to Vector Sigma, not just to it's location, but to the supercomputer itself. Legend has it that the Matrix was a fragment of Vector Sigma, if we can download its energy into the key, then we can use it to purify the Matrix…"

"And cure Optimus of the hate plague." Prowl's eyes lit up. "That's an ambitious theory, Ratchet."

"So," Darren began. "You mean that the only way to cure Optimus of the hate plague, we would have to get Gina and the key to Vector Sigma. And that means…"

"We would have to go to Cyberton." Gina breathed.

"But there's only one problem," Ironhide said through gritted teeth. "We don't have a way to get to Cybertron! In case you morons didn't notice, our ship is stuck in the side of a mountain and hasn't been space worthy for four million years. We can't make this thing fly worth a damn!"

"But we can still use the Decepticons' stargate right?" Bulkhead suggested. "It's still there, and the Cons haven't stripped it for parts yet."

"But you destroyed the transwarp drive they used to create the wormhole," Wheeljack said. "And the Ark's drive took a beating and it's nearly cracked in half."

"I have one!" Jetfire exclaimed. Everyone turned to the white Autobot flyer with looks of differing levels of skepticism.

"You have a transwarp drive?" Arcee huffed and crossed her arms. "Jetfire, we don't have time for this."

"No, seriously, I have one. How do you think I got to the planet without a ship?" Jetfire put his fists on his waist like he accomplished something. "Perceptor retrofitted a transwarp drive and hooked it up to my innards for instant interstellar transport. Said something about trying to replicate Skywarp's teleportation ability on a larger scale. I just blocked out most of his chatter at that point."

"And you haven't mentioned this, because…?"

"It's dead. It took all the power I had just to warp into the right solar system. I didn't think I was gonna head back home any time soon so I just forgot about it." He shrugged.

"Okay, so we rebuild the stargate, Gina hands you the key and you guys do you thing with the big V." Kevin summed up and nodded. "Sounds like a full proof plan."

"Kevin, it's not that simple. That ringing Gina is hearing is the omega frequency. This means that only she can hold the key, and use it on Vector Sigma." Ratchet said.

The humans went silent as they realized the implications being hinted at here. Gina was the only one Vector Sigma would react to, and that meant taking her to Cybertron. But of course, Debbie was not fond of that idea.

"No, you are not sending her to another planet!" Debbie yelled. Annie put a hand on her shoulder.

"Debbie…"

"No, these kids have done enough for you already. Why make her go when one of you can do it?" She glared up at the Bots.

"Debbie, it's not our choice," Arcee said softly. "Believe me, we wouldn't put this on Gina if there was another way, but it's out of our hands. But don't think that she'll be doing this alone. Gina will have us backing her up, as well as Sureshock and Sara."

Debbie shook her head, unable to believe that another dangerous mission was thrust upon her siblings and their friends. As if fighting that monster three weeks ago wasn't enough, now they were shipping Gina to another planet. She felt someone take her hand and turned to see Gina staring up at her with a determined expression on her young face.

"Debbie, please, don't blame them." Gina told her. "I know you're scared for us. I'm terrified of all this too. But the Autobots have risked their lives to protect a planet that they aren't even native to. The least we can do is help them in their greatest time of need, just like they've done for us. I'm sure Optimus would do the same for any one of us."

The Autobots looked at Gina with a sense of new found admiration. Gina wasn't a hardore fighter like Annie or a super powered esper like Darren and Kevin, or even a rich girl with all the money she could have like Penny. She was just a normal girl with a strong love for puzzles and history and for the Autobots. They knew she was scared, but she was willing to put everything on the line for them to save their leader. To go to another planet to save another life of a different species entirely took some courage.

Debbie saw that to. She could see that Gina was going to do this whether she wanted to or not. It was the same look that Gina's mother, Julia, had whenever she was about to tackle something difficult and painful. Like mother, like daughter.

"You Autobots better keep you safe, you hear me?" Debbie said, smiling down at the blonde girl. "She's one of a kind. You won't find someone like her in a million years."

"We know." Ratchet smiled.

Jazz grinned and cracked his knuckles. "Then it's settled. Let's get to work people! Boss bot needs us and we're going to help Gina every step of the way!"

XXXXXX

Megatron and Optimus walked side by side down the corridor of the Nemesis. The ship was abuzz with activity as the Decepticons were still working on repairing the outer hull using materials they pilfered from the human facilities they raided in the past. It was taking longer than they wanted, but it was top priority now since they lost the stargate. Their energon stocks were slowly rising back to their previous levels and they were working on constructing a new reactor core to power the ship, one based off the schematics of the reactor that they used to power the stargate. It was a sorry sight for the warship that tore through Autobot ranks on Cybertron and had a name synonymous with legendary, but Megatron didn't feel angry about the situation anymore. He just dealt the Autobots a crippling blow and all he needed to do was keep the pressure on them until they broke.

He had to admit, internally at least, this felt nostalgic, walking with Optimus as comrades instead of enemies. It reminded him of a time he had made an effort to forget, a time when they actually shared a dream of reforming Cybertron into a better world, one free of restrictions and classifications. To bring back the glory days of Nova Prime. Before Optimus betrayed their shared ideals and…took everything away from him. If only she were here to see this. He knew that she would be proud to see them fight together once more.

"As you can see, repairs are coming along slowly. The attack from that accursed Cardinal had nearly destroyed the ship and us along with it." Megatron said.

"I can see that you've also encountered the Dolems. We've also had our fair share of encounters on this world." Optimus said. "Perhaps after we conquer this world, we shall see what else Terra holds. I would like to spread our name across the universe without competition from outside forces."

Megatron smirked. "I like how you think, Optimus."

"Lord Megatron," Thundercracker said as he walked up to them. "We've managed to repair the outer hull near the engines, but the reactor is running low on energon. It's not maintaining a steady power level."

"Take your Seeker and raid the research facility in Ozark. They have a solar array large enough to power the reactor long enough for Soundwave to work on modifications." Megatron ordered.

"Yes, my lord." Thundercracker nodded and went to carry out his orders, but Optimus stopped him to give his own orders.

"Be sure to have Knockout work on that glitching ground bridge," Optimus said firmly. "I won't have myself thrown into space because that moron is busy admiring his reflection."

Thundercracker glared at Optimus, unwilling to take orders from a Prime of all people, but a discreet nod from Megatron forced him to reign his temper in and walk away. Once the Seeker was gone, Megatron turned to Optimus.

"Optimus, here on this ship, I am the commander, and thus I give the orders around here. When you stand on this island, you answer to me. Are we clear?"

Optimus stared at Megatron, not looking the least bit intimidated by the warlord's reminder. Megatron returned the star and they held gazes for a few minutes before Optimus nodded, breaking the tension.

"I understand, lord Megatron." Optimus replied. "It won't happen again."

Megatron smiled and nodded, letting Optimus be on his way. As the Prime turned his back on him, Megatron's smile fell and he glared at the Prime's back before turning to return to the bridge, only to see Nightshade standing there.

"We need to talk." She told him in a tight voice. It was clear that she wasn't taking no for an answer.

Megatron resisted the urge to snort at her attitude. This should be good. "Well then, let's talk."

Megatron led her to his quarters, a place that no one but Nightshade and Soundwave. It was a bare room with only a desk, terminal and a recharge slab in the corner. Once inside and away from prying eyes, Nightshade let her façade drop and wasted no time in rounding on him.

"What the frag is this?" She hissed. "Bringing an enemy commander, a Prime, into our territory and giving him a place on the team? Are you out of your mind?"

"Watch yourself, Nightshade. I assure you, I am still within my mind." Megatron growled. He was almost pleased to see that she didn't cower under his glare. "This is why I withheld this information from you. You're a fine warrior, but you are prone to letting your emotions rise to the surface at inopportune times."

"Don't start listing my flaws and not expect me to compare them to your own." Nightshade said. "Who did you tell? I know you couldn't have gotten this done by yourself."

"Only Soundwave and Leader-1 were privy to my plans. It was thanks to Laserbeak that we even knew about Prime's condition." He explained. Nightshade's face scrunched up in a sneer so animated that he wondered if he should've let her in on the plan. It's been a while since she was this mad.

"Leader-1? You included that little troll instead of your second in command?"

"Yes, I did. Having the Matrix bearer on our side would prove more beneficial than wasting energon trying to kill him in this more ruthless state." Megatron replied, staring down at her unblinking. "I don't regret making that decision, Nightshade. Everything I do is so we can win the war, or have you forgotten that after all these years of service?"

Nightshade was quiet at that. She used the uncomfortable silence between them to calm herself and return to her usual composure. But that didn't stop her from giving one last scathing comment to rattle Megatron's cage.

"You do remember what he did that day, don't you?" She asked softly. "What he took from you?"

"Don't be a fool, Nightshade," Megatron said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He went to his desk and reached into a hidden compartment, taking out a smooth white feather and holding it up to the light. "I have never forgotten the day he betrayed our noble cause. The day he took the only thing that mattered to me. And don't you forget that!"

XXXXX

Optimus was in the Nemesis' armory searching the gun stocks for something that he needed. He wasn't looking for a weapon, just a few specific components that some of the blasters had. This was slightly difficult given that many of these guns were unused and suffering from a lack of energy.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

Optimus looked over his shoulder to see Flamewar leaning on the doorway. She smirked at him and sauntered into the room.

"You may have the others fooled, but I know just what you are." She said.

"And what is that?" Optimus asked, turning around to face her fully.

"Don't give me the riot act. I know a conspirator when I see one." Flamewar laughed. "I just want to talk, no need to get so tense, hmm?"

When she saw that he was giving her his undivided attention, Flamewar said her piece. "You know, you're a big, strong mech with clearly better battlefield skills than Megatron. Your skills are wasted here fighting for his half-assed cause."

"Get to the point."

"What I'm trying to say is that we could join forces. With my cunning and your leadership capabilities, we can easily ditch the Cons and the Bots to rule this planet by ourselves." Flamewar stopped a few inches from him. "What do you say?"

Flamewar held out her hand for him to shake. Optimus looked down at it, looking like he was actually considering it.

"You have an interesting offer, and you make a good point…if I had any intention of joining you!"

Optimus grabbed Flamewar by the neck and slammed her against the wall. He snatched her other arm in a tight grip, almost breaking her wrist. He leaned in close, glaring at her with blood red eyes.

"I know your kind, scavenger. You're not the kind to adhere to any authority, not Megatron's and certainly not mine. You'd stab me in the back as soon as Megtron's dead." He growled. "Here's my offer. You will help me gain control of his people, you will heed my orders and if you even think about squealing I will do your sister a favor by ripping out your Spark core and making you eat it. Now, what do you say?"

"I-I'd say that we have a deal." Flamewar stammered. She knew a real threat when she saw one and he wasn't kidding about making her suffer.

"Good."

Optimus dropped her on the floor and went back to the weapons rack. Why should he share the power with anyone? He was a Prime, the face of Primus himself. A god among men. Autobots and Decepticons were nothing but scrap for the mill in his ascension to greatness. He wasted far too many opportunities to kill Megatron in the past and it cost him his world. But he was standing right next to the devil himself, and he was not about to squander a chance to run him through.

From his vantage point in the shadows, Laserbeak narrowed his eyes. This is something that Soundwave needed to hear.

XXXXXX

It took two days for the Autobots to get the stargate operational again. They had to learn how it worked on top of fixing the mechanism so that it wouldn't suffer from any malfunctions while activating. Wheeljack and Bulkhead came through for the team in this case, a two-mech team of space bridge experts using their knowledge to make the stargate as safe as possible to use. It was odd seeing Bulkhead give orders to Ratchet, but he was the top gun on site today.

"Ratchet, hook up the reactor to the E.F. module and set the energon flow to 78%, but do it slowly or you'll cause the pumps to overload." Bulkhead instructed.

"Energon flow is stable." Ratchet reported, lying on his back as he hooked blue colored tubes to the main generator. "I'm increasing the percentage."

"Prowl, are the coordinates locked in?" Bulkhead asked. Prowl was at the targeting computer downloading the location from Teletran-1.

"Yes, Teletran just downloaded the coordinates." Prowl said.

"Good, now all we need to do," Bulkhead turned to Jetfire and Wheeljack. "Is hook the Stargate up to your transwarp drive."

Jetfire was standing at the center of the Stonehenge with Wheeljack on his knees fiddling around with the circular component in his lower abdomen, just a few inches from his T-cog. Activating the stargate itself was too risky, as the energy dispersion used to create the portal would draw the Cons' attention. Prowl and Ratchet decided to play it safe and have Jetfire be the one to transport their friends to Cybertron's orbit. The Cons would still track their signature, but it would be a while before they realized what was going on. Until then, all the Autobots had to do was hold their position. Because of the smaller size of the drive, only a three other people could go with him. Gina was a must, and Arcee was the only other Bot who could go due to her being the second smallest of the team. Sureshock wanted to go with Gina, but there was only room for Arcee on the trip. The less mass being transported, the easier the stress will be on the transwarp drive. So Sureshock had to relent to being left behind. Sara, oddly enough, wasn't as broken up over that fact.

As for Gina, she was prepping for probably the most dangerous mission of her life. Debbie had many concerns, one of them being if Cybertron had a breathable atmosphere. Ratchet explained that though the planet was rich in oxygen and hydrogen, the planet's ecosystem was declining when they left in the Ark and heaven knows what the state of the planet was like now. Her pilot exo-suit was pressurized and designed for use in Zero-G conditions, and her Athena's cockpit was also safe as well.

"Bulkhead, are you done yet?" Arcee asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

"We're doing a few system checks Arcee, just hold on." Bulkhead said.

"Ugh, this is murder." Arcee muttered. She was clearly nervous. This could be the first time going back to Cybertron, and she didn't know what to expect. The thought of going back to where her sister died…it was starting to get to her.

"Arcee," Jazz walked up to her and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Relax and clear your mind. Don't let your fears and worries cloud your thoughts. Just focus on getting the job done. The minute you let your insecurities take over, then what you think can go wrong, will go wrong."

"Yeah, I know." She smiled. "Always with the sayings. Where did you get that one?"

"Yoketron. It's his modus operandi, clear your mind and focus on the task at hand. In situations like these, you don't have the luxury of worrying about the what ifs."

Arcee laughed and hugged Jazz, who returned the gesture with a grin. He was always there for her when she needed saving and even now he was still watching over her. Was there any way to pay him back for all of his help? She felt something rub against her ankle and she looked down to see Peppercat snuggling against her leg in her beast mode.

"I'll miss you to, Peppercat." Arcee rubbed her fingertip along the Minicon's back.

"You better come by or I'll scratch up your room, nya." Peppercat said and shifted into robot mode. "I'm serious. My claws are sharp enough to do the job, nya."

"I wouldn't doubt it."

"Okay we're all set on our end." Wheeljack said, standing up.

"We're good over here to." Bulkhead said.

Ratchet nodded and turned to Prowl. "Send the kids over."

The ground bridge appeared and Sparkplug and Sureshock appeared with the rest of the humans. Gina was already walking her Talos into the stargate next to Jetfire and Arcee. Once she got her unit in position, Gina jumped out of the cockpit to say her goodbyes to her friends.

"You take care of yourself, you hear? I don't want Penny tearing into me because her rival died on an alien planet." Kevin teased.

"Shut up, Kevin!" Penny growled and looked at Gina. "Look, I know we haven't always been on good terms, nor have we spent that much time together, but I hope you come back safely. I'm still pissed that you're the first human to step foot on an alien world, but considering the circumstances, I'll concede. Just this once."

Kevin whistled. "That's a first." Penny punched his shoulder.

Gina smiled and hugged Penny and Kevin. "Thank you both."

Annie stepped up and grinned at her best friend. "I don't think I need to say what a cool best friend you were. And don't think this is a goodbye, I know you're coming back. Now get out there and represent planet Terra! In the name of science!"

"You bet ya!" Gina fist bumped Annie and they shared a hug. She then turned to Darren, who was fidgeting in place.

"What can I say?" He smiled. "You've reached great heights since we met the Autobots, and you're making history here. But…it's hard seeing you go and not being able to come with you."

"I know, but you're strong Darren. A lot stronger than me." She replied. Darren took a deep breath and stared into her eyes.

"Gina, I-" She put a finger on his lips.

"Don't. I'll lose my nerve."

Darren chuckled and they hugged each other tightly, a little longer than the others. They parted and she turned to Ratchet and Sureshock. Gina clasped hands with the orange Minicon for support.

"Arcee better keep you safe or there will be hell to pay." Sureshock said.

"Don't worry, I trust Arcee, and you should too. In the meantime, you keep a good watch over Sara." Gina said. She looked up at Ratchet. "Are you going to start crying to?"

"I doubt it'll change anything if I could cry. Just stay close to Arcee and Jetfire." Ratchet said. "And be sure to make the most of your trip. I don't think you'll get another chance like this one any time soon."

Gina hugged Sureshock and then hugged Ratchet's finger. When she stepped back, she said something that would stay with Ratchet for a long time. "You were the grandfather I never had, Ratchet."

The heartfelt look on his face made Gina tear up and she ran over to her Talos, climbing into the cockpit and shutting the hatch after giving everyone a final wave. Debbie stepped up to Arcee and Jetfire and gave them a stern, but caring, look.

"You better take good care of Gina. It's hard enough trying to keep this from her mother. The last thing I want to do is tell her that her daughter is lost in space." Debbie said.

"We'll take good care of the brat, Debbie. Don't get your panties in a twist." Jetfire said. Arcee elbowed his stomach.

"Don't be crass." She scolded.

"And you be careful too, Arcee." The older Radcliffe said. "You're family to."

"I will, Debbie. I've survived this long, haven't I?" Arcee smiled. She knelt down and patted Debbie on the back, while the girl hugged her large hand.

With their goodbyes said and done, they stood in the center of the stargate waiting for Bulkhead to give the all clear. A few cables were connected to Jetfire's torso, leading to the targeting computer where Wheeljack was managing the console. They had to make sure that the group made it to their destination, or at least the general area. Arcee gave a thumbs-up for the all clear, and Jetfire activated his transwarp drive the same time Wheeljack powered up the reactor.

There was a dull hum in the air that increased in volume as the drive spun in Jetfire's body. A dome of energy projected from his body to encase Arcee and Gina as well, surrounding them as electricity arced between the spires into the sky. Then as quick as it began-it was over. The stargate released a powerful discharge that lasted only a second, and the group vanished in a flash of light accompanied by a loud boom. When the light died down, only dust was left in their wake.

Wheeljack took a minute to check if they made it to their destination. After reading the computer, he sighed and nodded. "They made it."

"Oh thank god." Debbie breathed.

"That was stressful." Jazz said. "Let's just hope that they have an easier time getting back."

"Getting back?" Bulkhead repeated nervously. The way he said that put everyone on edge.

"Yes, Bulkhead, getting back. As in helping them jump back to Terra." Prowl said.

"Um, that's not going to be easy." Bulkhead rubbed the back of his head. "They're going to need some help from their end, unless Jetifire can muster up five times as much energon in the absence of a stargate to help him."

Everyone gaped at Bulkhead, and Debbie fainted as Annie smacked her forehead.

"Son of a bitch!"

XXXXXX

A harsh, cold wind swept over the metallic landscape, howling like a tortured soul. The eerie silence was broken by the sound of electricity, followed by a loud boom. Three figures were thrown away from a point of impact. Arcee crashed into a pile of metal shavings, Jetfire hit a twisted spire face first and felt o the ground in a dazed heap, and Gina was able to glide along the ground before her Talos fell to the hard surface and rolled to a stop. Gina grunted as she was jostled in her seat and groaned.

"Ow, that wasn't fun." Gina muttered and looked around. Through her monitor she saw that she was standing in the middle of a vast plain of rugged metal and rock-all alone. "Guys, is anyone near me?"

"Gina! We're over here!" She heard Jetfire call out and smiled.

"Thank god, we made it." Gina sighed and took a deep breath. Arcee and Jetfire reached Gina on top of a tall hill that overlooked a plain of deep canyons and spiraling towers of steel. It all looked so surreal to Gina, and it was hard to believe that it was a planet. "The metal content here must be off the charts."

"Gina," Arcee jogged over to the Athena. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, just a bit banged up. That was not an easy landing."

Jetfire groaned, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness in his joints. "That was a doozey. At least we're in the right star system."

Gina turned her mecha's head around, scanning the barren landscape for any sign of life or at least a settlement, but found nothing. "This is Cybertron? Not what I was expecting for you home planet."

"This isn't Cybertron, Gina. This is Solomus, the smallest of our two moons." Jetfire pointed to the sky. "That's Cybertron."

Gina and Sara looked to the sky and they both were shocked into silence as they saw the massive planet hanging above their heads. Cybertron, homeworld of the Cybertronians, was a planet much larger than Gina thought possible, larger then Terra, probably matching Saturn in size. It looked slightly different than the Cybertron from her dreams; it was still an amazing sight to see, a world made of metal, with whole continents divided by deep canyons that made the land look like a jigsaw puzzle. But unlike her dream, the planet lacked the blue glow emanating from those canyons, and though she could make out some of the cities on the surface, they were dark.

"My god, I'm staring at an alien world." Gina whispered and smiled. "We're actually here!"

"Not exactly," Arcee crossed her arms and glared at Jetfire. "Why are we on Solomus?"

"We must've misfired." Jetfire sighed. "The transwarp drive isn't very accurate when you're using it for personal transportation. I only made it to Terra because I had help from Perceptor's big brain. That stargate wasn't exactly made to accommodating Cybertronian tech."

"Can you fly us there?" Gina asked. She wasn't sure if her Talos could operate well in space and she wasn't willing to risk it if she didn't have to.

"I'm low on energon, kid. Not to mention the transwarp drive needs to cool down. At the level I'm at, we'll get stranded half way to Cybertron is I try to make the trip."

"I can fly there. The Athena can operate in space." Gina suggested.

"Not without us, you aren't. You'll get shot out of the sky by Decepticon warships, and that's if you don't burn up in the atmosphere while reaching the planet."

"So our only option is to wait." Gina deduced. Jetfire groaned.

"I knew this was a bad idea."

"Shut up, Jetfire."

XXXXXX

They haven't even started looking for Vector Sigma before things already going wrong. The team continued to wander the vast wilderness of Cybertron's smallest moon. They still had to wait for Jetfire to recuperate, and until then they decided to search the moon for any vestiges of energon. Gina learned that the moons were about half the diameter of Terra, and had about the same level of gravity as well. Trying to explore the entire moon was pointless without any vehicles, and they had to conserve as much energy as possible. What settlements they did come across were destroyed from previous raids and fell into disarray from neglect and eroded over time. She remembered that D-Va lived here once, before an Autobot squad torched her home and killed her lover. What would she say if she saw what was left of her home?

"My first visit to an alien planet and I get stranded on its moon." Gina sighed. "Nothing like your typical 'lost in space' scenario to kick off the field trip."

"Gimme a break kid." Jetfire grumbled. "It's not my fulat that I've got outdated hardware."

"Don't argue guys, please." Arcee said, sitting on a small boulder. "Let's rest up a bit before we try to fly to Cybertron."

"Wait, fly? I told you, I don't have enough energon to-"

"We don't have a choice! We have to reach Cybertron, even if you have to float the rest of the way there!" Arcee yelled. She was getting sick of hearing his excuses and at this point she felt like punching something, namely him.

"Guys, quiet!" Gina hissed. "I think I hear something."

Sara focused her long range sensors around her and heard something closing in on them. "I hear it to. Something is coming our way."

Arcee and Jetfire heard the noise to, a faint buzzing that was growing louder as it drew closer. They drew their weapons and formed a circle with Gina and Sara. The buzzing increased in volume until it was so loud that they had to shout to talk to each other.

"What is that?" Arcee asked.

"Trouble."

Over a hill a swarm of purple metal insects that looked like Terran Hercules beetles flew over the horizon like a biblical plague, zeroing in on the group of misfits. Each bug was large, about the same size as Jetfire, and sported a hard metal carapace that looked like it could take a great deal of punishment and long steel horns. Gina recognized their designs from an earlier encounter with a few wayward stragglers on Terra.

"Insecticons!" Gina switched on her vents and flew back, shooting her pulse cannons at the invading bugs. Her powerful beams dug into the first line of insecticons, ripping through their tough armor and destroying them, but more came through the scattered remains of their brethren.

Arcee and Jetfire shot down as many as possible, but some insecticons made it to their position. One insecticon landed on the ground and transformed into a large, hulking brute with a large mouth of serrated teeth. It let out a bone chilling howl as it lumbered towards the Autobots. Arcee ducked under its massive claws and stabbed her rapiers into its torso, slashing upwards to sever its arms and jammed her blade into its head. Another came at her from behind and she flipped over it, spinning her body in the air to cut its head off in two swings. Jetfire covered her, shooting them down with his particle cannon. He would've flown and battled them in the air, but there was no space to lift off, let alone fly without being surrounded.

"There's too many of them!" Jetfire exclaimed, jumping to the left to avoid a laser burst that was fired at him. "We gotta bail!"

"Where?" Gina replied. She was slashing away at the insecticons with her beam sabers at this point, forced to fight these creatures at close range. Just as she was about to glide away to a less crowded spot, the Athena was attacked from behind by an insecticon that barreled into her like a raging bull and knocked her to the ground.

"Gina!" Arcee cut down another bug and turned to Jetfire. "She needs help, now!"

Jetfire nodded and went into his jet mode, hovering high enough to take aim and fire two missiles at the insecticon. They hit their mark and blasted the animal to scrap, allowing Gina to get her unit back up to its feet. An insecticon leapt at him from behind and tore into his wing with its claws, sending him to the ground by Gina. Arcee drove over to them in her alt mode and transformed, jumping up and stabbing her swords into the chest of an insecticon.

"We're being overrun!" Arcee said. Gina cursed and got ready to deploy her beam cannon. It would cut the Athena's operating time in half, but they needed an opening to escape.

Just as she was about to press the button, the entire region went up in flames. It was nothing Arcee or Jetfire did, but the ring of insecticons that surrounded them were blown away from a hail of missile fire from above. The trio looked up to see a large golden battleship hovering over them, unleashing a storm on the insecticons. The sudden assault was enough to scare the remaining insecticons into retreating and they scattered, flying or running from the field.

"What just happened?" Gina asked.

She got her answer when the ship landed on the ground and the hatch opened up to let two figures off. They were femmes, Autobots thankfully. One was a bright blue color with a weathered face and wheels on the back of her legs and sitting on her back, with glowing red powerlines and a square shaped headpiece. The other was a red and orange femme who had a literal torch sitting on top of her head and had a configuration that suggested a four wheeled alt mode. Arcee gasped, looking like she saw a ghost, and they two Autobots looked no less surprised.

"Chromia, Firestar!" Arcee exclaimed.

"Arcee?" Chromia, the blue femme, whispered. Her voice sounded rough and strong, and reminded Gina of a grizzled war veteran who had been through some shit.

"No way," Firestar, the red femme, muttered. She walked down the ramp to the cold, metal ground. "Little Cee?"

Arcee, who actually looked like she was about to cry if she could, ran forward and hugged Firestar tightly. All her earlier worries were sitting at the back of her mind now as she reunited with her old friends, Autobots who took care of her after losing her real sister. Now she felt like she was home.


	5. Shattered Glass part 3

Chapter 5-Shattered Glass part 3

"So, anyone wondering why we're flying away from Cybertron?" Jetfire asked. Arcee and Gina were also curious about that as well, seeing as the whole reason they were here in the first place was to go to Cybertron.

"We're taking you to Autobot HQ," Chromia asked, smirking back at the trio from her co-pilot seat. "Everyone here has questions, but it would be better to chat in a place not infested with insecticons."

The shuttle had transwarped out of Cybertron's orbit, dubbed the Hadeen systems by its inhabitants. The warping itself only took a few minutes, but to Gina it felt longer. Not to mention that she felt a bit queasy even in her Talos from the spatial transition. Letting Firestar take the controls, Chromia turned her seat to face her passengers.

"So, before we get the party started, how about you introduce me to your silent friend over there? Is he a neutral or…?" Chromia asked.

"Actually, it's a she, and she's inside the machine. Her name is Gina and this is her mecha that she pilots." Arcee said. "She's human and the people on her world pilot these machines."

"Hello." Gina said.

"Nice to meet you, Gina. I'm Chromia and that's Firestar. We're Autobots, but I guess you already know that." Chromia grinned. "It's not every day that we have an organic hanging out with us Autobots. Usually they're either staying as far away from us as possible or trying to blow us straight to hell."

"Well, it wasn't by choice, actually. It's a long story." Gina replied.

"You guys can tell us the whole story when we get to HQ. I'm sure high command will want to know where our resident dare devil and cyber-ninja have been chilling out these past few stellar cycles."

"How come HQ isn't on Cybertron, in Iacon?" Jetfire asked. Chromia's expression grew solemn and she looked down.

"Let's just say we needed more leg room to keep the war going." She said vaguely. "It's not by choice, I assure you."

That sounded ominous enough to make Arcee and Jetfire withhold any questions they might've had, and Gina suddenly felt out of place on the large ship.

It wasn't long before their transwarp jump ended and they found themselves in orbit of a bright orange planet. But that wasn't their destination. Arcee, Jetfire and Gina gaped at the massive space station that sat in the planet's orbit. It had to be thousands of kilometers long, and had multiple rings surrounding a main central column. They could see small ships coming and going from the hundreds of docking bays on the largest of the rings, Autobot ships that looked suspiciously like smaller versions of the Ark. Chromia smiled at their awestruck faces.

"You should see your faces." She laughed.

"What is this place?" Gina asked, magnifying the image on her monitor and making sure to record everything she was seeing. The guys back home were going to freak.

"Autobot Orbital Command, our central base of operations." Firestar answered. "This is where we've been for the last four million years."

Firestar flew towards the nearest docking bay and skillfully eased the ship into the area. Through the window, the newcomers saw hundreds of Autobots monitoring the ships that came and went, initiating proper docking procedures. They also saw a cabal of Autobots Gina thought stood out from the rest, but she was sure that Arcee and Jetfire recognized them at once. Once they landed in the hangar, Chromia and Firestar led the trio off the ship towards the awaiting entourage that stood off on the side. Gina tried to make heads and tails of what was going on, but the Autobot that caught her attention was standing in the front.

She was a femme, her armor a sporting darker shade of pink armor that Arcee's, and was a head taller than her as well. Her head was covered in ornamental spikes, with what looked like a crest of royalty on her forehead. Wheels rested on the backs of her legs and on her shoulders, suggesting she had a car alt mode. Her face was beautiful yet regal, and Gina found herself reminded of Optimus in how this femme carried herself.

"Arcee, Jetfire?" The femme whispered in a smooth voice. She stared at the two Autobots as if she were staring at ghosts, and no one could blame her. "You alive, and you're standing here?

"With a friend," Chromia threw an arm around the Athena's shoulders. "This is Gina, the resident alien from some planet that I've never heard of before. Gina, this is Elita-1, leader of the Valkyries and commander of the Autobot army."

XXXXXX

Megatron sat alone on his throne, deep in thought. The repairs on the Nemesis were on schedule, and so was the replenishing of their energon stocks. Having Optimus on the team had made things vastly easier, especially now that the Autobots were not interfering as much anymore, though it concerned him that he hasn't seen hide or hair of them since their last encounter. They were planning something, but he didn't know what and that annoyed him.

Another point of concern was Flamewar's little power play with Optimus. Laserbeak had reported that the huntress was trying to coerce Optimus into acting out against him. To the Minicon's surprise, Megatron confessed to already knowing about Flamewar's treachery. It wasn't a surprise considering Flamewar's probably been planning to get free since Lugnut dragged her here, and Optimus' condition would most likely influence his desire to stand against him in the future, but what got Megatron was why Prime hadn't made his move yet?

"Lord Megatron."

Megatron looked up to see Knockout enter the bridge with a datapad in hand. "Knockout, what are the results of Optimus?"

"Well, scans indicate that Prime has been fully corrupted by the hate plague, though I'm puzzled as to why he still has his rational mind." Knockout said.

"It is of no importance to me." Megatron replied. So long as Optimus wasn't a walking hazard area, he was fine.

"But a word of warning, my lord. Optimus may be docile now, but he will get more aggressive as the infection clouds his mind." Knockout cautioned. "The virus has already started to increase his base physical abilities, he may become too powerful to control."

"I'm well aware of that, Knockout. I helped invent the hate plague!" Megatron shouted. "Do not presume to tell me how my own formula works!"

"My apologies," The medic stammered, backing away. "I'll just show myself the door now."

Megatron watched Knockout scurry out the doors like Unicron himself was on his heels and leaned back in his throne. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Optimus started to lose his reason, that was what the hate plague was designed for after all. It was not surprising that Optimus had plans of his own to take over the Decepticons, nor was the fact that, that traitorous harlot Flamewar trying to weasel out of her obligations. But still, he couldn't fight down that small feeling of disappointment. The things that they could have achieved together, they would have been an unstoppable force.

But all that mattered was waiting for Optimus to make the first move, and that was always the most crucial moment of any battle, on or off the field.

XXXXXX

Elita-1 and Arcee sat in the former's private office to discuss the situation as Jetfire was at the air lock waiting for Gina. During the wait, Arcee gave the commander an abridged version of the events that happened on Terra; their four million year long stasis, waking up and running into their human friends, racing to rescue the Minicons, even the Dolems. Elita-1 was silent throughout the debriefing, her expression unreadable, though Arcee could tell that she was glad that they were all alive.

When Arcee was finally done with her explanation, Chromia let out a whistle. "Damn girl, you guys have been busy. All this talk about superpowered organics and murderous alien statues sounds like something Swerve would cook up on movie night."

"Indeed, even I would have a hard time believing all this if you didn't have you-human?-friend here with you." Elita-1 said. She smiled and grasped Arcee's hands. "Nevertheless, it is good to have you back with us, Arcee. You have no idea how wonderful it is to know that the Ark survived."

"I told you they were alright." Chromia said.

"That you did," Elita-1 nodded. "You always said that they were just stuck somewhere, and I allowed my fears to get the better of me."

"Eh, water under the bridge. With what we've been through, I'm not surprised you were pessimistic."

Arcee smiled at the two femmes. She knew that Chromia and Ironhide were conjux endura, the Cybertronian term for married spouses, and they shared a bond that could be felt across light years. Chromia would've known if Ironhide was dead, and the same went for Elita-1, but Arcee guessed that the older femme's hopes had been slowly worn away by years of constant warfare. Primus knows what these Autobots had went through.

"Not that I think you aren't cut out for the job, but how did you take Optimus's place?" Arcee asked. "I thought Ultra Magnus took up the mantle."

"Magnus and Warden (IDW Fort Max) had taken command on two fronts when the WFC was still going on. But circumstances had led to me being elected as commander." Elita-1 said. "These days, Magnus acts as our liason with the Galactic Council with Tyrest."

"That's outstanding." Arcee breathed. She always knew that Elita-1 was a great person, a true warrior with a gift for leading and could look like a warrior queen in the middle of a gritty battle, beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.

Not too far away, two Autobots were at the pressure chamber adjusting the base's atmospheric regulator so that Gina could breathe without her Talos or pilot helmet. The first Bot was a red and black mech with a microscope on his shoulder and a diagnostic lens over his left eye like a monocle, he was Perceptor, chief Autobot scientist and head of the Autobot research division. His partner was a mostly white and red femme with a bulky body and a red visor. One of her hands was replaced by a laser cannon, but it didn't seem to hamper her dexterity as she checked the pressure controls and computers. She was Flashpoint (Armada Red Alert), medical officer of the all-female Valkyrie squadron.

Jetfire swaggered over to her and leaned against the wall. "Yo."

"Hello." She replied. She didn't even glance at him.

Not one to give up on the first try, Jetfire tried to continue the conversation. "What's your name?"

"Flashpoint."

"Flashpoint? Nice name, fits with the whole stern but sexy medic look." Jetfire said. "For a doctor, you certainly know how to make my Spark flatline."

"Look, Jetfire, if you don't mind, I'm a little busy here." Flashpoint said tersely. "I need to make sure that the air pressure is leveled. If I screw up, your friend could implode and Arcee would skin you alive."

"Damn, that's a moodkiller."

"I'd say sorry, but that'd be telling a lie, and I can't tell lies in my profession." Flashpoint pushed him aside and leaned to the intercom. "All right, young one, the air has been saturated with oxygen. You can come in now."

The door slid open and the Athena stomped into the hall, its white armor scuffed and dirty from its stint on Solomus. Gina powered down the mecha and opened the hatch, climbing to the floor and taking off her helmet with a sharp inhale. She smiled and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Thanks for that. I thought that I would be stuck wearing this thing the whole time." Gina said.

"We've designed the base with the visitation of organic diplomats in mind. You'd be surprised to know how many species rely on a steady amount of oxygen and hydrogen like you do, Gina." Perceptor stepped forward and nodded to her. "I am Perceptor, chief scientist on this base."

"Welcome Gina Harkins," Elita-1 greeted as she and Arcee and Chromia entered the hall. Gina resisted the urge to bow her head as the rose colored femme approached her. "I want to personally thank you for risking so much to help Optimus and his team. It's a rarity to find organics like you willing to help us as the cost of their lives."

"It wasn't much of a choice, but I was glad to help in anyway." Gina said. She wondered what Elita-1 meant by that, but she figured that with the War having spread across the galaxy, not everyone was happy with the chaos caused by the interstellar fighting.

"Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, let's get started with the real reason you're here." Chromia said.

"Yes, what you're trying to do is highly dangerous and almost impossible." Perceptor said. "There is no cure to the hate plague."

"We know, but we think that maybe by reaching Vector Sigma, we can find some way to use its energy to purify Optimus of the infection and reverse its effects." Arcee said. "It's a long shot, I know, but we're desperate here. Prowl and the rest of the team are doing their best to keep their eyes on Optimus, but it's only a matter of time before Megatron goes in for the kill."

Elita-1 and Chromia gave each other troubled looks that did nothing to make Gina feel at ease. "Is something wrong?"

"Arcee, Jetfire, a lot has changed since you've last been with us. Cybertron has been…dark for eons now, and can no longer support life." Elita-1 said with a heavy heart. Chromia put a supporting hand on her shoulder. "A lot of damage has been done to the planet and its ecosystem. We don't even know if Vector Sigma is still operational anymore."

That news had hit Arcee and Jetfire hard and was the last thing they wanted to hear. Cybertron, their home planet, the world they had fought so hard to save…was dead? How did that happen? Sure, Cybertron had seen better days when they were still fighting the War for Cybertron, but the planet should've repaired itself by now.

"That's if we can get to the big V." Chromia chimed in, wanting to change the depressing subject. "There's no straight way to get to the core, and I don't fancy a long climb into the Sonic Canyons during a solar flare."

"Then maybe this can help." Gina reached into her hip pouch and pulled out the key, holding it up to them. Elita-1's eyes widened.

"The key to Vector Sigma." She whispered. "Where did you find that?"

"Optimus gave it to me before he went off to try to get the plague cache from Megatron. He told me to take care of it." Gina explained.

"By giving it to her, Optimus had entrusted the key to her and thus only Gina can use it to access Vector Sigma. It's the only reason we brought her along on this dangerous mission." Arcee said. "Jazz and Ratchet were the ones who figured that we could use the key to channel Vector Sigma's energy to save Optimus."

"What you're suggesting is…insane." Flashpoint said. "Are you even sure that your plan might work?"

"Well sweetheart," Jetfire said, making Flashpoint scowl at him for the name. "It's the only solution we could think of that didn't include trying to bust Optimus out of the Nemesis in full view of Megatron. The last time we tried hauling Prime's giant aft back, he kicked our asses ten ways from Sunday."

"Please, Elita, we're hoping that you could help us in some way." Arcee pleaded. "I know this is asking a lot from you, but if it's possible…"

"Do not worry, Arcee, I will help." Elita-1 smiled. "Anything to save Optimus. But I must warn you, Cybertron is a very hostile place to both Cybertronians and organics, before you leave, you must be outfitted with radiation protection."

"Radiation?" Gina whined. "It's that bad?"

"When a planet loses its atmosphere for 4 million years, it tends to lose its luster after a while." Paradon said.

"Perceptor, could you take Jetfire and Gina to be outfitted with shield generators?" Elita-1 requested. "And see to Jetfire's transwarp drive, as well?"

"I can help the human, Elita, but working on Jetfire's drive will take a while." Perceptor said.

"Just do the best you can, Perceptor. These three need a way to get back to Terra."

Preceptor nodded and had Jetfire and Gina follow him to the research area while Chromia went to assemble a team to go to Cybertron. Arcee went to follow them but Elita-1 stopped her.

"Before you go, Arcee, there's someone I'd like you to meet." She said. The Autobot commander led Arcee to a small room on the other side of the floor. As they reached the door, Elita-1 smiled at Arcee and opened it, lightly pushing Arcee in.

"What do you want to show me…" Arcee's voice trailed off as she saw someone she never thought she would see again.

"Arcee!"

A green blur slammed into Arcee and almost knocked her over as she was grabbed in a tight hug. She looked down and the first thing she noticed was that familiar face and sparkling blue eyes that she always loved.

"Moonracer?"

XXXXXX

"Flamewar! Megatron wants to see you!" Starscream yelled, walking through the halls. Megatron had sent him to find Flamewar, and he was less than happy at being seen as her handler. "Flamewar, where the hell are you?"

He went to her quarters and took a peek inside, yelping as he saw the animal heads mounted on the wall above her recharge slab. He quickly shut the door and walked down the hall, rumbling about traitorous psychos and being an errand boy for Megatron. As soon as he was around the corner, Flamewar exited the storage room, carrying a few components in her arms, mainly circuit boards and plastic explosives. Looking around to make sure the coast was clear, she made her way towards the room near the energon storage vault, Prime's current quarters. She opened the door and was met with a wall of smoke.

Coughing slightly, Flamewar waved the smoke from her face and entered the room, peering into the darkness to see the large form of Optimus Prime bent over his work table. Sparks flew from his hands as he worked on some obscure secret project that he had Flamewar gather materials for. The glow of the torch on his black frame made him look a bit menacing and Flamewar realized that having a rogue Prime on board was probably the most dangerous thing Megatron had ever sanctioned. But she steeled herself and cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Prime, I got your little trinkets for you." She said rudely.

"Took you long enough." Optimus said, not looking at her. "Put it down over there and get out."

Flamewar growled. She didn't take this crap from Megatron and Nightshade, and she was sure as hell that she wasn't going to be ordered around by a Prime. Seething, she shifted her hand into her pulse cannon and pointed it at Prime's back.

Before she could even will her cannon to fire, Optimus spun around snatching the components from her and backhanding her into the wall. She tried to get up, but she froze when Optimus glared at her with his blood red eyes.

"You're a millennia too late to try that on me, Flamewar. I know well enough to not completely take my concentration off you." Optimus said and waved her off. "Now get out or I'll hang your Spark core on my wall as a trophy."

Flamewar, not wanting to test her luck a second time, got up and went to the door, throwing Optimus a dirty look before leaving the room. She marched down the hall angrily but ran into Starscream as she turned a corner.

"Flamewar, where the hell have you been?" He growled.

"On this ship, genius. Did you forget I also live here as well?" Flamewar replied with a sneer. She was not in the mood for his shit right now.

"Bah, nevermind. Megatron wants to see us right now. So I suggest that we do not keep him waiting." Starscream said. He turned around and went to the bridge, with Flamewar following him, for once glad that Starscream sought her out.

Meanwhile, Megatron was getting even more bad news, and not the one he was planning for. "Someone activated the stargate?"

"Yes. That small energy signature that we detected was a quantum pulse related to spatial distortion, a transwarp jump." Soundwave confirmed.

"The Autobots," Megatron hissed. "First they destroy my stargate, and now they use it for themselves? I should've stayed behind and massacred them all!"

"Why would they want to use the stargate?" Nightshade asked. "And how? The transwarp drive's been destroyed, and I doubt the Ark's is in working condition."

"How is irrelevant, Nightshade. But I think we know why." Megatron grinned savagely. "They want to save their precious leader. Soundwave, monitor the stargate for any more jumps and give me updates at regular intervals. Once our forces have returned from recon, we will wipe the Autobots off the face of the planet in one fell swoop."

XXXXX

Gina had never seen Arcee look both sad and happy before. She was standing next to a shorter green femme who looked like her but had a different configuration and held sculpt. Moonracer, Arcee's supposedly deceased little sister, was standing there alive and well. Gina could see that Arcee was trying not to break down, but she was failing miserably, and she was sure that the pink Autobot would be bawling if she could biologically shed tears.

She was waiting with the sisters at the shuttle for their escort team, the Valkyries, to take them to Cybertron. Jetfire, who was still with Perceptor, was forced to stay behind for the scientists to rework his transwarp drive so they could make the return trip home. All this preparation and fortifications made Gina wonder just how bad was Cybertron. The mention of solar flares, atmospheric disturbance and particle storms worried her, no matter how hard she tried not to think about it. Thankfully she had a distraction right next to her.

"Moon, how are you are?" Arcee asked, still unable to believe it. "I mean, I saw you…I saw Flamewar…" She couldn't make herself say it, for fear of proving this was some kind of twisted dream her mind cooked up from her homesickness.

Moonracer smiled and rocked back and forth on her heels. "I don't have the slightest clue, big sis. All I remember is this sharp pain in my chest, then everything going dark. Next thing I knew, I was waking up in a cave inside the Manganese Mountains. I guess someone else lived there before I woke up, but whoever it was, was long gone. It wasn't even a day before the Techonobots found me on the planet and brought me here."

"Arcee, are you sure she was dead?" Gina asked. "I mean, I know how hard it is for Cybertronians to die and all…"

"Gina, I held her in my arms and she was dead. Ratchet himself confirmed it." Arcee shook her head and hugged Moonracer again. "I don't know how or why, but I am so glad to have you here, little sis. I missed you."

"I've missed you to, Cee." Moonracer smiled.

It was another minute before Chromia arrived at the shuttle with her team, the Valkyries. According to Arcee, they were an all-female Autobot black-ops team that took on a variety of mission, with only half of them being combat-oriented. Elita-1 led the team, and still does, these days Chromia leads the team on their missions when the Autobot commander is unable to take charge. Along with Chromia and Firestar, the other Valkyries were Road Rage, a deep red and black femme who was the group's resident diplomat and advisor, Flareup, a bright orange and red explosives expert with an obsession for all things fiery and loud, Glyph, a short green femme who was the team's archaeologist and expert in foreign languages, Greenlight, a bright lime green femme who was communications, and Lancer, an orange and blue femme who was an expert on piloting spacecrafts. Flashpoint was coming along to, to act as medic in case anything goes wrong on the mission.

"You gals ready to get moving?" Chromia asked. "Prime ain't gonna save himself."

Gina took a deep breath and clutched the key in her hand tightly. Arcee knelt down and placed two fingers on her shoulder. "Gina, relax. We'll all be here with you. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, the only thing we'll have to worry about is microwave radiation beaming down on us from the sun, meteors, charged particle storms, and probably some unstable infrastructure," Greenlight said. "But I think we'll be good if we don't step on anything that looks like a mine and get wounded in the middle of the Sea of Rust."

Lancer groaned and pushed her partner onto the ship. "Just shut up and get in, Greenlight, you're embarrassing me."

Arcee and Gina, piloting her mecha, also entered the shuttle, but the pink Autobot stopped when she saw Moonracer following her. "Wait, you're coming to?"

"Of course I'm coming!" Moonracer gave her sister a cute pout. "I'm a Valkyrie too! I've served my fair share of dangerous missions."

"Don't get overprotective, Cee. Moonracer is as much a part of this team as Flareup is. She knows how to fight." Firestar said. "Come on, we don't have time to lose."

Arcee bit her lip, but a reassuring nudge from Gina helped her enter the shuttle with the others.

"Till all are one, Autobots." Elita-1 whispered as she saw the shuttle take off. "Please stay safe."

The shuttle left the docking bay and flew out into space. Once it was a good distance away from Orbital Command, Chromia typed in the coordinates and the ship hummed to life as it was encased in a faint blue sphere of energy. A wormhole appeared in front of the ship and in the blink of an eye, the shuttle was gone in a flash as it entered transwarp space.

XXXXXX

Gina kept her eyes shut as she tried to ignore the violent trembling of the ship and her Talos as they flew through transwarp space, which she figured to be their version of real life hyperspace that used wormholes to cheat the whole 'faster than light' limitation. If she weren't space sick, then Gina would be asking how the process worked, but she had to focus on not chickening out before they reach the planet.

"How are you doing, Gina?" Arcee asked.

"I-I'm fine. I'm just trying to get used to this interstellar transport thing." Gina said, taking deep breathes. "Is it always this bumpy?"

"Only when Lancer takes the wheel." Chromia said. "When she gets in the pilot seat, you better strap in, because you're going to get thrown around a lot before you reach your destination."

"I resent that!" Lancer shouted from the front. "I'm an ace pilot with tons of experience!"

"Which all goes out the window when Greenlight get near you. I forgot how many times you almost crashed because you were too busy being grabby with your fly-girl." Firestar smirked.

"Firestar, could you not talk about that with our guests present." Greenlight said tersely. Gina could hear the embarrassment in her voice.

"Trasnwarp jumps are usually pretty smooth. It's nothing to worry about, little one." Road Rage said.

Sensing that Gina was still a bit on edge, Glyph, who had been studying the humanoid mecha since they got on the ship, decided to start a conversation. "Gina, what kind of machine is that? From what I heard, your species is a pre-spacefaring one, but this machine seems to be a bit more advanced for such a race."

"Oh, my Talos is unique. The other units that my people use are nowhere near as good looking or powerful." Gina said. "You see, I found this unit along with three others with my friends and…"

As Gina and Glyph started talking about the differences in human technology, Arcee took this moment to process what just happened the past hour and a half. She reunited with the Valkyries, old friends who were like a second family to her after she lost her first one, reunited with Moonracer, who she thought was dead for four million plus years, and now she was returning to her home planet, a world that was already on the decline when she left with the others on the Ark. It was nerve wracking, and she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to see.

Looking around at the Valkyries, Arcee allowed herself a moment of respite. It was this team that had saved her from that Decepticon prison cell, and helped her bury Moonracer. She had served as a member of the Valkyries for a while, but the grief was still fresh in her mind, and she quit to fight solo for a good while before a chance meeting with Jazz brought her back from the brink. Arcee remembered the old stories she heard about them, how Elita-1 led them with the grace and authority not seen in many commanders, even Optimus Prime. Many Autobots figured it was only natural that the conjux of Optimus Prime would be a natural leader, but Arcee realized that Elita-1 was no warrior at heart, it's just that the circumstances had changed, and she was forced to adapt to the increasingly violent conflict.

Arcee thought that Elita-1 would've personally led this team herself with the crucial nature of this mission, but when she mentioned this to Elita-1, a look came over her weary eyes. The rose colored femme looked older, tired and even a bit reluctant to go along.

"Arcee, I would love to help you save Optimus alongside you, more than anything else in the world. But," Elita-1 sighed and looked out the window into the dark expanse of space. "There are a lot of bad memories there. It is the sight of my greatest failure as an Autobot."

Arcee nodded and smiled. "I understand. We can do this ourselves. Trust in us."

"I do," She replied, trying to smile but it died quickly. "But remember, Cybertron is no longer the home you once saw it as. Be prepared to see it as the site of so many deaths, a planetary graveyard. Our home is dead now."

Those words stuck with Arcee and the more she thought on them, the more she realized that she didn't want to see Cybertron anymore. If Cybertron was as bad as people said it was, then what chance was there of Vector Sigma still surviving. The core was the heart of the planet, and if it died, then Cybertron followed. She only hoped that the vice versa wasn't true. Moonracer, sensing her older sisters anxiety, reached over and grabbed her hand to keep her calm. Arcee smiled at the green femme and squeezed her hand back.

The ship lurched as it exited transwarp space and lancer addressed the crew. "We're here guys. If you want to see the planet from up here, now's the chance little one. You're not gonna get another."

Gina had her Talos walk over to the pilot area and looked out the window. She opened the cockpit hatch and poked her head out to see the planet with her own eyes. "Outstanding…"

The shuttle was not within the vicinity of the Hadeen solar system. They approached the third planet in the system, a massive world of iron and steel that was once the jewel of that region in the galaxy. The birthplace of the magnificent race of sentient machines known by many races as the Transformers.

Cybertron, the dead planet.


	6. Shattered Glass part 4

Chapter 6-Shattered Glass part 4

Cybertron, homeworld of a monumental race of mechanical beings known to the rest of the world as the Transformers. It was a crown jewel in the cosmos, a quirk of evolution full of wondrous mysteries. And its inhabitants were every bit as amazing and unique as the world that spawned them. Cybertron was a world full of life and splendor.

But now Cybertron was a dead world. Whereas in the past, Cybertron was illuminated with thousands of lights and energon lines that could be seen from space, the planet was now dark and quiet. A husk of what it once was. The towering skyscrapers, the vast Mythril Sea, the once populous city-states that lied on the steel continental plates, were now striken with rust and decay, scarred with deep craters, fallen buildings, dried up rivers, and scorched lengths of metal that composed the once pristine landscape of the planet's surface. The entire planet was a grim reminder of what the War had taken from the Cybertronian race, and how much was lost in the fires of war.

The shuttle landed in a wide, flat plain known as the Hydrax Plateau, a region that once was the planetary spaceport for off-world spaceraft going to and from Cybertron. It provided the perfect landing spot for Lancer to set the ship down, and once they were grounded, the ladies got to work on making sure they had everything they needed for the lengthy stay. Before leaving, Chromia and the others engaged their magnetic shielding, a precaution to protect them from radiation and ionized particles floating around in the air. Cybertron's atmosphere had degraded ages ago, and it was full of harmful radiation and contaminants that were deadly to Cybertronians and organics alike. For Gina, this was a must, as even though her Talos had the same protection, she couldn't leave her unit or risk radiation poisoning. What could drop a bot in seconds could kill her in months.

"You do not want to get caught in those solar storms." Firestar said. "They'll wreck your systems like three year old Engex, and drop you in three nano-kliks. The magnetic shielding will protect you from the worst of it, but only for a few minutes."

Gina took a deep breath and stayed close to Arcee and Moonracer as the landing hatch lowered to the ground and the team exited the ship. Chromia checked her weapons and looked at their pilots.

"You two stay here and guard the ship. Keep the comms open in case we need an evac." She said. Lancer grinned and saluted her.

"Yes, ma'am." Lancer turned to Greenlight with a naughty smile on her lips. "I'll keep my eyes open alright."

"Oh dear lord." Greenlight groaned.

Gina stepped out onto the hard, Cybertronian metal and marveled at her surroundings. Here she was, on an alien world, light years from home. She was experiencing something that people have only dreamed about, and here she was, the first human to step foot on Cybertron. Granted Cybertron looked much more depressing than she saw in her dreams. The sky was full of storm clouds that crackled with lightning every few minutes, the ground was blackened by scorch marks from explosions and she could see the deactivated bodies of Autobots and Decepticons lying on the ground, forgotten by their allies. It was a true warzone, and Gina couldn't believe that the entire planet was like this.

"Arcee, this is insane. I'm actually on an alien planet, your home." Gina whispered. "Arcee, how are you…" Her enthusiasm faded when she looked at her partner and saw Arcee looking at the planet with wide, heartbroken eyes. Seeing her home like this had shaken her, despite all her attempts to prepare for it.

"Primus…" Arcee breathed, unable to fathom just how tarnished everything was. She knew that they were near Altihex, but she couldn't even recognize the city, which was little more than a clump of half standing buildings and ravaged streets of uprooted metal and rock. If it was like this, then she couldn't bear to see what was left of Ky-Alexia.

"Arcee," Moonracer stepped closer to her sister and took her hand, rubbing it comfortingly.

"What happened here? I know Cybertron's environment was declining when we left, but there was no way that it could've caused this." Arcee shook her head. "Did the Decepticons do this? Nuke the planet until no one could live here anymore?"

"No, Bots and Cons alike were victims of the thing that caused all this," Road Rage said solemnly, motioning to the desolation around them. "We just made things worse with all the orbital bombardments and missile detonations. Ruptured the planet's atmosphere and started the doomsday clock."

"Then what caused all of this?" Gina asked. They talked about it like it was some sort of living apocalypse. Chromia looked at Gina with sad eyes and spat out a name.

"Thunderwing."

Arcee and Gina wanted to ask who or what was Thunderwing, but they knew better than to dig further into a sensitive subject. Whatever it was, it must've been bad.

"So, how do we get to Vector Sigma?" Moonracer asked. "I mean, the most direct way would be to go down the Sonic Canyons, right?"

"Too risky," Firestar said. "We don't have climbing equipment, and it'll take too long."

Chromia sighed and looked at Gina's Talos. "I don't suppose that magic key of yours has a way to get to the core, does it?"

"I wish I knew…" Gina trailed off as she heard whispers in the back of her head. Picking up the key card, Gina gasped as the object began to glow slightly. She waved it around and saw that the glow would brighten or darken depending on where she was pointing it. "Jinkies, I think it can show us the way."

"Where is it leading you, Gina?" Arcee asked, ignoring the skeptical looks of the other Valkyries.

After a minute, the Athena raised its arm and pointed west, out of Altihex and towards a city in the distance. Road Rage immediately knew where they had to go.

"That direction points us straight towards Nyon," She sighed and shook her hands. "Of course it would be in my home town."

"We better get a move on then before the planet tries to snuff us out." Chromia signaled the others to transform as she went into her alt mode. Gina noticed how they looked like futuristic versions of the vehicles that she knew back on her planet. The resemblance was almost uncanny, save for Moonracer's hovercar mode. "Road Rage, before you transform, I need to warn that if you try to rear end me one more time…"

"It was a mistake!"

"You always do that to people who are in front of you!" Flareup exclaimed. "I had to get my tires replaced because you scuffed them during recon."

"What are they talking about?" Gina asked Firestar.

"Road Rage is usually a sweet girl, but when she transforms, she turns into a literal speed demon that acts like a maniac on the road has quite the potty mouth, hence her ironic name." Firestar explained. "You should hear the thing she says about our rear ends. Not what you'd expect from a diplomat."

"It's a medical condition!" Road Rage yelled.

XXXXXX

"Hmm? What's this?"

The curious little inquiry came from a young femme who was colored a bold ultramarine and black, with unusual golden-orange powerlines traversing her torso, upper arms and thighs. Her head was rounded and tear-drop shaped, similar in style to a terran motorcycle helmet, with a glossy black visor covering her face. Feint, the on-off assistant of Shockwave, sat up in her chair as she focused her attention on the computer in front of her.

She was spending her free time inside an underground laboratory beneath the uninhabited surface of Epistemus, Cybertron's largest moon. Built there during the aftermath of the Great Exodus, it was supposed to be Shockwave's private laboratory, where he could safely continue his experiments and ponder in solitude without having to worry about Cybertron's unstable climate or any intruders looking to ruin his "fun". As his partner in crime, it was Feint's job to make sure the place stayed tidy and any pets or prisoners were locked up in their cages. She didn't mind being housekeeper for a few years, Shockwave was busy leading the Decepticons and what not in Megatron's place (and trying to keep himself from being usurped by that red floozy Ember) so she was pleased to lighten is workload. But it was lonely here and her only companions were the Insecticon alphas that Shockwave performed his experiments on.

"Looks like we've got some hitch hikers on Cybertron." Feint muttered. She typed in a command and tapped into the hidden cameras that were still somehow operational after being hit repeatedly with microwaves from the sun. "Let's see, an Autobot spacecraft, and eight Autobots and…one unknown? This is interesting."

Feint tried to get a closer look on the white robot. She could immediately tell that it was no Cybertronian, no alt mode kibble and it moved too rigidly. It had to be a battlesuit of some kind, like the ones those accursed Runerians use in their ground forces. But as she tried to decipher this mystery, a clawed hand reached out and touched her shoulder, making her jump and yelp.

"What the frag!" She turned her head to scold the unannounced visitor, but froze when she saw who it was.

" **What do we have here?"** An ethereal, multilayered voice hummed, sounding like sharp sheets of metal grinding together. " **Feint, you should've told me that we had visitors. We didn't even roll out the welcome mat."**

"I didn't want to disturb you beauty sleep." Feint said. She winced as the claws gripped her shoulder tighter, lightly cutting her armor.

" **Nonsense, I always have time for visitors,"** The femme with the ghoulish voice leaned closer to the screen and gasped. " **Is that…Arcee? And she's brought an alien for me to play with! Ember knew that the Ark and Nemesis crews weren't dead, and this proves it!"**

Feint winced as the femme laughed, gnashing her teeth together as her bare optics shined with glee. She hated this psycho so much. "Well, how about we do something about these guys. The Autobots haven't been on Cybertron since the Fall, and I doubt that this is a social visit."

" **I'm well aware of that, Feint. And you'd do well to curb that snarkiness of yours. I'm not Shockwave, and I won't take lip from a femme who can't even get a date."** Feint scowled at her for the remark, but the ash grey femme rubbed her serrated fingers together eagerly. " **The others will die, but I'm excited to see Arcee again."**

Ashling, Decepticon scientist and master surgeon, snapped her fingers and the room was abuzz with the skittering legs of dozens of large insects that swarmed to her. She grinned, her lipless mouth nothing more than a slit composed of long, knife-like teeth that were jagged and rusted. " **Come my pets, we're off to see our old friends!"**

XXXXXX

The journey to Nyon was quiet and tense. The Valkyries and Arcee drove the entire way in their alt modes, with Gina flying her Talos low to the ground. Gina took point, with her acting as their guide using the key card. Arcee and Moonracer stayed close to her, ready to protect the girl if anything went wrong.

Gina looked at the rest of Cybertron through the monitor in her cockpit and could only shake her head at the destruction all around her. She had seen warzones on Terra in international hot spots, but this was on a larger scale. What she was looking at was the result of a millennia long war between beings who could not die naturally. Even the city of Nyon, which Arcee described as being a slum even before the war, was little more than a pile of rubble that's been raised to the ground. She knew that none of the other Autobots were born here, but she knew that they would be heartbroken to see the planet they left to save in such a sad state.

"All that fighting, all that work," Arcee said, her voice tight. She was still trying to process what she was seeing. "And this is what we're left with?"

"I'm sorry Arcee." Gina said.

"We did everything we could to save Cybertron." Chromia said softly. "But it's hard to see past the next mission, the next punch in a fight."

"We thought that we were saving Cybertron by fighting the Cons, but in truth, we were only making things worse." Glyph explained. "It was a Decepticon scientist who saw the signs and tried to warn everybody, but no one listened. One thing led to another, and as the war started to reach what looked like its endgame, Thunderwing came and torched both sides, killing thousands and giving the planet its death blow."

"And here we are, eating slag at the bottom of the barrel." Road Rage grumbled, her voice having taken on a rougher edge the minute she went into her vehicle mode.

Gina exhaled and pushed her Talos to fly faster. This trip was depressing and she didn't enjoy going back home to tell her friends what she had seen and heard. That is, if she did make it back home.

The group drove through the ruined streets of Nyon, in the shadows of the fallen buildings, with nothing but their headlights and the two moons to give them light. When the roads started to become more even, they transformed to robot mode and continued on foot. Gina led them through numerous ruined buildings until they reached the outskirts of the city on the other side. The Athena cut off its particle vents and landed in front of the large courtyard before a massive domed building.

"The Acroplex," Glyph whispered. "This was supposed to be the former capital of Cybertron, back when the Thirteen Primes were in power millions of years ago."

Chromia pursed her lips and walked into the courtyard, looking around at the rust-ridden area and noticed the large gaping hole about a mile from the building. "Wasn't this the place where Prime found that metrotitan, Metroplex?"

"Yes, he composed most of the Acroplex, but here was where the Primes would gather to commune with each other." The little green Autobot knelt down and ran her hands along the groud, lightly scratching at it with the sharp tips of her fingers. "I never thought I'd have the honor of coming to such a place of historical treasure."

"I just want to know when I can make things explode." Flareup chirped.

Arcee walked up to Gina. "Is this the place, Gina?"

"Yup," Gina said, quickly putting the key away to avoid blinding herself with its intense glow. "The thing nearly blinded me in here. This is the place."

"Alright ladies, let's set up shop here." Chromia yelled and looked at her team. "Flareup, set up phase charges along the perimeter, Glyph, get some drones into the air for aerial recon. Moonracer, take cover in that little abode to snipe at any stragglers that come our way. Road Rage, Firestar, you're with me."

"You expecting company?" Arcee asked. Chromia smirked and tossed her a plasma rifle.

"You could say that." She replied.

"But Cybertron's been abandoned, who could stay here under these conditions?"

"The type of creatures that have evolved to live in desolate areas," Chromia looked out at the city around them with narrowed eyes. "Shockwave's malformed pets, the Swarm."

Glyph, who was checking something on a wrist mounted computer, gave a yelp when two of her drones went dead and jogged over to the others. "Two drones just went done on the eastern side. I think we're about to get a welcome home party."

"I wasn't expecting them to sense us that quickly." Chromia growled. She heard a faint buzzing sound and looked up to see a large dark shadow rise above the ravaged city skyline. She cursed when she saw that it was a swarm of insecticons. "Slag, everyone get to my position! Weapons ready people!"

The swarm consisted of beetle-like flyers that flew through the city like a Locust swarm and a ground force of ant-like red armored vermin that were nearly as large as Bulkhead. They were subterranean creatures that hid deep under Cybertron's surface and only resurfaced following the departure of the surface dwellers that killed many of their kind. These ground insecticons were left mostly unaffected by Shockwave's experiments on their kind, but were still subjected to the will of the alphas, Shrapnel, Kickback, and Bombshell.

As soon as they got within her line of sight, Flareup pressed the detonator and the phase charges that she set along the buildings outside the Acroplex and the whole area was alight with large plumes of flames that engulfed the insecticons, killing thousands and wounding hundreds more. The ground units were crushed by falling debris, but a good number still made it past and were charging the sacred grounds in their beast modes.

"Light them up, Flareup!" Firestar yelled.

"And they all go boom!" Flareup chirped as another ring of explosions illuminated the perimeter around the Acropolis in flames. Insecticons were thrown into the air, many in pieces, while the ones that escaped getting destroyed skittered back from the intense inferno that was hot enough t melt their metal carapices.

"Arcee was about to join the battle, but Chromia held her back. "We need to get this done now. The explosions will only hold them back for a little while. Moonracer, Road Rage, on me!"

Gina watched Flareup, Firestar and Glyph open fire on the invading insecticons and wished them luck before following the Autobots into the citadel. But as they entered the building, they didn't notice the tiny little bug watching their every move.

XXXXXX

The short, stocky form of the Insecticon alpha Bombshell mentally commanded his drone to follow the other half into the temple and turned to his commander, the Decepticon psychopath known as Ashling. Next to her, his fellow alphas, Kickback and Shrapnel, stood sentinel awaiting her command. Like Shockwave, she gave a commanding, savage aura that cowed the usually rowdy Insecticons into submission. Bombshell wondered if it was because of her independently moving eyes or the devilish grin that she sported all the time.

" **Well?"**

"They're all in the Acropolis," Bombshell said. "It appears that half of their number are covering for the alien in the battlesuit. They're looking for something."

Ashling narrowed her eyes, and turned to the other two alphas. " **Order your forces to continue pressing their attack, no matter the threat to their personal safety. I want to tire them out before I go in for the kill."**

"As you wish, wish, wish…" Shrapnel said with his echo-like voice.

"Guh!" Bombshell flinched and rubbed his antennae. "One of them just destroyed my cerebro shell. How did she see it at that distance?"

" **That was probably the sharpshooter, Moonracer. Arcee's little sister."** Ashling hissed and grinned at her insectoid companions. " **Nothing get's past her keen eyes. Bombshell, you hang back, you two are coming with me. Together we will storm the Acropolis and see what secrets our little birds have discovered."**

XXXXXX

"Whoa, just…whoa." Gina breathed as she moved her Talos into the main hall of the citadel.

Arcee had to agree with that statement. She heard stories about the Acropolis from the only other Autobots who've been here, Ironhide, Optimus, Prowl, even Kup. The dome itself was in terrible condition, but the interior was still intact, enough for the carvings on the walls-which were etched in a glowing blue crystal Arcee almost mistook for energon-to still form a coherent picture. A massive carving of the Matrix of Leadership taking up most of the left wall, and another of what looked like Optimus on the opposite wall. The lack of light made the two carvings look beautiful, and she wondered how this place was still standing despite the hell going on outside.

"Hard to believe Rodimus did all this." Road Rage muttered. "Never pegged him for an artist."

"Well, it's the only thing he can do other than screw up on solo missions." Chromia remarked and turned to Gina. "All right, little girl, time to earn your stripes. Where are we supposed to go next?"

Gina held up the key, but saw that the relic had lost its glow. She waved it around a bit to get the glow back, but got nothing. She cursed. "It's not glowing. I don't know what happened, but it's not glowing anymore."

"Frag. Which means we'll have to do this the hard way." Chromia muttered.

Her comm-channel crackled before Firestar's voice came through. " _Chromia, we've got more bugs coming in. And I think that they've brought some alphas with them."_

There was another loud boom and the ground trembled for a bit. Moonracer fingered her rifle nervously.

"What was that?" She asked. Acre didn't answer as she turned to Gina.

"Gina, I want you to focus on finding anything that can get you downside. Let us worry about the Cons." Arcee told her.

"But Arcee-"

"Don't argue with me, Gina. You're the reason we're here. If something happens to you, then everything we've worked for will be for nothing." Arcee placed her hands on the Athena's shoulders and looked the robot right in the eyes, knowing that Gina could see her in the monitors. "Please, let us do our jobs."

Gina was silent, but she made her unit's head nod to show that she understood. Arcee smiled and stepped back to allow Gina to focus on a solution. Another explosion, this one closer, rattled the citadel and Gina picked up the key, clutching it tightly.

"Please, show me where to do. I know I'm close, but you have to help me one more time." She pleaded with it. "I have friends and family counting on me to make this work. Don't let me fail now. Not when I have a chance at helping them."

The key didn't glow, nor did she hear any whispers, and Gina felt tears threatening to fall. But before she could let the hopelessness set in, she felt a tug at the back of her head, a nagging feeling that was telling her to go to the center of the chamber. She moved her Talos to the center of the dome, maneuvering the machine so that she was standing right in the middle of a symbol, a face, surrounded by thirteen other faces. She looked at Arcee and was about to ask what to do next when she got her answer not a second later.

"Ah!" Gina's scream urged Arcee into action, but it all happened too quickly for her to react.

The Athena, and Gina, was engulfed in a bright pillar of light that shot up from the floor and Arcee lost sight of them. The light was only there for a second before it vanished, and Gina was gone with it. Arcee ran over to the platform and looked around.

"Gina!" Arcee called out. "What just happened?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Moonracer said, trying to figure out what just happened. "Was she vaporized?"

"No scorch marks." Road Rage said, studying the floor where the Athena once stood. "It appears that she was teleported."

"To where?" Arcee asked, her impatience showing. She didn't want Gina alone on this planet with all this danger around.

"Hopefully to Vector Sigma. We're not exactly dealing with conventional science here." Road Rage said.

There was another explosion outside in the courtyard and Chromia got a call from Firestar on her comm-link. " _Chromia, they've got the entire area surrounded. Two of Shockwave's pets are here, along with someone who wants to meet you."_

"Who?"

" **HERE I AM!"** A ghoulish voice roared. The four femmes jumped back as the roof of the citadel caved in and a black figure fell to the ground amongst the debris.

"What the hell?" Chromia exclaimed. "Who got past our defenses?"

"I have a good hunch about that." Moonracer said, lifting her sniper rifle. Arcce stood in front of her comrades as she glared at the figure before them. As the smoke cleared, they were able to get a clear view of who their intruder was, and once they saw her, they knew that things just got more complicated for them.

"Ashling." She growled, eyes flashing. The Con scientist got to her feet, snapping her joints back into place with sickening cracks that sounded eerily similar to reconnected bones. She barely looked fazed from her rough landing.

Ashling looked just as ghoulish and decrepit as she was in that prison cell five million years ago. Dirty grey armor that was old and worn, with patches of metal skin missing from her form and exposing her inner circuitry. She had six arms, all tipped with five fingered hands that looked like razor sharp scissors and her face was like a living corpse; a rail thin faceplate that lacked any lips and sported a grinning maw of serrated teeth that looked like broken knives. Her eyes, lacking optical lens, were burnt orange and moved out of synch with each other.

" **Arcee, my little test subject,"** Ashling grinned, her hands clasping together in glee. **"I couldn't believe that you were dead after everything you went through, and my intuition was right on the money. Here you stand before me, livelier than ever. Primus must be smiling down on me today."**

"Cut the slag, Ashling. What are you here for?" Arcee questioned, drawing her blades.

" **A team of Autobots arrive in Cybertron's orbit and you ask me why I'm here? Like it or not, I am a Decepticon deary. I have a job to do, a reputation to uphold."** Ashling studied the rest of the Valkyries. **"I see Elita-1's famous Valkyries, but not the alien you came with. Where is it?"**

"Far from you." Chromia said. Ashling frowned and her fingers started to tremble.

" **You Autobots should know that I don't like being lied to. Where is the alien?"**

"Go to hell!" Arcee snarled and rushed forward at Ashling. Whatever happened, she had to give Gina as much time as possible. They had to finish this mission no matter what!

XXXXXX

It took Gina a minute to realize that she was still alive. She didn't know what happened, but she wasn't vaporized by some energy beam, thank the lord. But now she was in a totally different location, alone and had no idea where to go.

"Arcee? Moonracer? Do you read me?" Gina tried to hail them on the Athena's frequency that was attuned to their comm-link, but she got nothing. The panel on her left showed that she was out of range. "Out of range? Where am I?"

Moving her unit's head around, Gina found that she was inside some sort of cave. It was made of metal, like the rest of the planet, but unlike the smooth plates of the surface world, the underground was more rugged and uneven. She was still on Cybertron, but she was underground. How far down, she couldn't tell. Gina moved her Talos' feet, but as soon as she took the first step, she heard the voice.

' _Gina.'_

"I'm here." She whispered.

She moved her Talos down the tunnel, which sloped downward into the planet's depths. She could hear the key card giving off the high pitched shriek that nearly drove her insane the first time, but at a lower volume. The farther she walked, the more intense that feeling in her mind became and she knew that she was on the right path.

Gina continued walking for another five minutes until she reached the entrance to a massive cavern that had to be three football fields long. She gaped at what was before her as she walked deeper into the chamber, staring at her monitor in shock. She thought she was staring at the sun, but it was something else, something just as important.

"Vector Sigma."

XXXXXX

"So, how long did they say they'd be gone?" Road Storm asked.

"I didn't." Prowl said curtly.

"I'm just saying. They've been gone a really long time and-"

"Road Storm, please don't start." Bulkhead groaned.

One day had passed since their three friends had departed for Cybertron. The Autobots kept a tight watch on the stargate, doing routine shifts to guard the structure and monitor the area for any unwanted activity. So far, no one had come to rain on their parade, but everyone, especially Prowl, knew that it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. Right now, it was early morning in Europa and most of the Autobots save for Ratchet were at the stargate awaiting the return of their comrades. Despite it being 24 hours, the tension was starting to get on everyone's nerves and Prowl found it hard to keep the peace with his team stressed out like this.

"Yo Jazz, can we get some tunes here?" Road Storm asked his partner. "I'm not digging the silence."

"Don't even think about it, Jazz." Prowl glared at Jazz. The silver Autobot grinned sheepishly at his co-commander.

""Come on, Prowler. We could use something to ease our worries." He said.

"He's right," Bulkhead agreed. "All this waiting is making my trigger finger itchy. I need something to take my mind off it."

"I vote laser ping-pong. I've always wanted to try out my new VR system." Wheeljack said.

"No one's doing anything other than sitting here and guarding the damn stargate!" Ironhide shouted. "We don't have the luxury of screwing around while our friends are on Cybertron fighting for Prime!"

"Ironhide's right," Prowl said. "I know you're all on edge, but we need to focus. For all we know, Arcee, Jetfire and Gina have already found a cure for Optimus and are trying to find a way back. Their chances of doing that are at least 76% likely, so we shouldn't waste our time worrying."

"Says the real robot on the stage." Road Storm muttered. Jazz nudged the Minicon with his foot to scold him.

"Guys!" Jolt flew down from his vantage point in the air above the stargate and landed on Jazz's shoulder. "We've got Nightshade and Seekers incoming!"

The Autobots went on alert and took out their weapons, forming a circle around the stargate. Nightshade's dark form appeared in the air, landing on the ground in her beast mode and transforming. The Seekers formed a ring around the Autobots as a ground bridge appeared and out came Barricade, Flamewar, Knockout, and the two leaders, Optimus and Megatron.

Prowl narrowed his eyes at Optimus' appearance. His armor looked darker, black enough to absorb light, and his eyes were like dark pools of blood. Looking closely, Prowl could see heat waves emanating from Prime's body, and faint wisps rising from his limbs each time he moved them. The infection was getting worse, and Optimus barely looked recognizable to him anymore.

"So my suspicions were true," Megatron growled. "You are using my Stargate, and to call for help while you're at it. I don't know how you were able to do that, but rest assured, I will find out if I have to carve your filthy brains in two to get the answer!"

"I don't think I need to tell you all how this goes, Autobots." Optimus said darkly. "Surrender or die. Your choice."

"We hold the stargate at all costs! We have to hold out for our comrades!" Prowl shouted and took out his plasma rifle. "Autobots, attack!"

XXXXXX

Outside the Acropolis citadel, Firestar led the assault against the invading Insecticons. She was hefting a large photon cannon on her shoulder and was firing a continuous beam of orange plasma energy in a sweeping motion at the ground and sky units. Glyph and Flareup were dealing with the bugs that got past their aerial attacks, the bruisers that landed on the ground and attacked them in robot modes. Flareup abused her explosive grenades and shrapnel charges to great amounts as she shot them at the hulking beasts, blowing off their limbs or heads, and would blast holes in their chests with her laser emitters.

Road Rage was using her energo-saw to decapitate any Insecticons that ran her way, but she was being quickly overwhelmed. When a black and purple bruiser rammed into her from her flank, she crashed to the ground and lost her weapon. It charged at her, claws raised to attack, but Flashpoint jumped on its back and fired her cannon into its head. She jumped off its headless body and helped Road Rage to her feet.

"Are you hurt?" She asked. Road Rage shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. Just a few dents." Road Rage answered and quickly shot down an ant-Con that tried to pounce on them. "There's so many of them. How were they able to live here with all the radiation storms."

"Don't lost focus now, RR. We need all the help we can get." Firestar said. "Glpyh, status report!"

"We're faring well against the initial swarm, but more are coming in from the northeast." She reported. "They're trying to overrun us through a continuous assault."

Firestar and Road Rage continued shooting down as much of the swarm as possible, and to their relief it seemed that the number of Insecticons was dwindling. Glyph and Flareup were taking care of the Cons rushing them from the front and to the right, but they were starting to tire from the constant fighting. They had enough munitions to last them another hour or two, but that was useless if any of those bugs got past their blockade.

"Firestar, we won't be able to hold out like this." Flashpoint said. "If we stay out here any longer, then we run the risk of radiation discharge and critical systems failure."

"We need to hold out for as long as we can. We don't leave this position until Chromia tells us to." Firestar said. She turned to her protégé, who was leaning against one of the decorative spires. "Flareup, do you have any more phase charges left?"

"No, only shape charges, and they aren't very useful unless planted in advance." Flareup frowned. "I got carried away with the booms earlier and used up the charges protecting the perimeter."

"No one's blaming you, Flareup. We weren't expecting a force this size." Firestar's head perked up when she heard that same buzzing in the distance. Another swarm was coming. "Weapons free! We've got more incoming!"

They saw another swarm swing around the corner, ducking over and under a fallen building as they flew towards the Acropolis. Firestar and the Valkyries opened fire on the Insecticons, and shot down dozens of them as they approached, but more replaced their fallen numbers and got closer to the site.

Chromia ran out of the citadel and took out something from her back compartment, a phase charge. She threw it as hard as she could and detonated it as the swarm flew around it, hiding it from view. The explosion was strong enough to make a nearby structure crumble entirely and destroyed a sizeable portion of the Insecticons, though at least several dozen more remained. Firestar was about to ask what she was doing there when she saw something fly out of the cloud of flames.

"Heads up!" She shouted.

The smoke covered form was revealed to be a black and yellow metal grasshopper, and it slammed into the ground with tremendous force. The Insecticon alpha known as Kickback pushed off the ground on his hind legs and launched himself towards Chromia at high speeds, angling his body backwards so that his powerful back legs were positioned in front of him as a weapon. One kick was enough to critically shatter a bot's internal components and even punch a hole through solid steel. He was aiming for a quick kill. But he would not get one.

Chromia knew his plan as soon as he jumped and tilted her body to the side to avoid the kick, spinning around to grab his wings and throw him to the ground, kicking his insectoid face and firing her rifle into his underside. Kickback transformed to robot mode and tried to charge at her again, but blaster fire from Firestar and Road Rage forced him to jump back out of their area.

"Well that happened." Flareup remarked.

"What are you doing out here?" Firestar asked. "Did Gina make it to Vector Sigma?"

"Not a clue, she was teleported by something and not long after Ashling came and broke into the citadel." Chromia said. Glyph froze.

"A-Ashling? She's here?" Glyph heard a number of horror stories about Ashling, how she was like Shockwave if he embraced his insanity, and her insatiable tastes for Cybertronian bodies. "We need to book it, now!"

"No way! Arcee and Moonracer are fighting her." Chromia said. "We just need to hold the fort for Gina to come back with something we can use for Prime."

"And how long will that take?" Flashpoint questioned. " Our munitions will last for a while but Flareup and Glyph are starting to tire. If Kickback is here, then chances are that Shrapnel and Bombshell are close by as well. We'll be overwhelmed."

Chromia looked at Flashpoint and sighed out of her nose. She knew that the medic was right, but it wasn't her call to make whether they should retreat or stay. "You make a hard argument, Flash, but we're staying put. The reason we're here is to save Optimus. I understand your concern, but if we lose Optimus, then the Cons win this war and the galaxy if finished. Please girls, I need you to hold out for me. For Elita."

"We're always here for you, blue." Flareup said. "We've always been together."

"That's right. We're all here for Elita-1." Road Rage smiled and looked at Flashpoint. "Flash, you still with us?"

The black and red femme stared at her fellow warrior maidens and sighed, allowing a smile to break her cold façade. "Sure, I can't say no to those faces you're making."

Chromia and Firestar smirked and faced the second wave of Insecticons charging the pathway to the Acropolis. "Well, let's show these bugs why no one frags with the Valkyries! Let's hit it!"

The Autobots unleashed a startling amount of firepower at the Insecticons, their fighting spirit reinvigorated by their drive to help both Optimus and Elita-1. But inside the citadel, the sisters weren't as battle hardy as their war hardened veterans.

XXXXXX

The first strikes thrown between Arcee and Ashling were fierce. Ashling was mostly defensive, blocking Arcee's sword strikes with her six arms, which were surprisingly durable. She weaved through the Autobot's slashes and stabs, delivering quick but painful blows with her claws every time that Arcee missed hitting her. Arcee did her best to block Ashling's attacks, and she leapt into the air, bringing her sword down on the Con, who blocked her blade with her main arms.

" **You're good, or rather you've gotten better. Has your little vacation enhanced your skill? Or perhaps it is something else."** Ashling said, pushing against Arcee's sword.

"Like I'm going to tell you!" Arcee hissed. Ashling cackled.

" **I will find out sooner or later, little one. You can hide nothing from me!"**

Ashling's forearm panels slid apart to reveal two mini-guns, and she jumped back to shoot a volley of high velocity rounds at Arcee. The pink Autobot used her training to deflect the bullets as Ashling ran circles around her, pinning her to one spot with her ballistic fire. Moonracer, who was waiting for an opening, charged at Ashling, swinging her sniper rifle around her body. To Arcee's surprise, the rifle extended into a long staff and a sharp curved blade formed on the tip, forming a scythe.

Moonracer swung her scythe at Ashling, but the grey femme flipped onto her back, letting the blade fly past her face before pushing off the ground and kicking Moonracer in the chest. She charged at the younger femme, but Arcee slid into her path and Ashling was forced to block another sword strike.

"Stay back!" Arcee grunted.

"Fine!" Moonracer frowned. She ran to one of the fallen pillars and shifted her weapon configuration into a rifle again, taking aim at the fight going on below her. She tried to get a target on Ashling, but both she and Arcee were moving around too fast. "Slag."

Arcee and Ashling battled fiercely, jumping and slashing, rarely using their ranged weapons. It was clear that they wanted the chance to kill the other personally, and the intensity of their fighting showed this. Ashling was like a marionette on strings, moving her body in odd angles that allowed her to dodge Arceee's attacks, while Arcee did her best to stay out of Ashling's reach. They slashed and parried and slashed and parried, until Ashling found an opening and lashed out with her second set of hands, cutting Arcee's wrist and knocking the sword from her grasp.

Ashling smiled and ran at Arcee, but she suddenly felt the left side of her face erupt in pain as something his her cheek, blasting a chunk of metal skin off her face. She reeled back in pain and stumbled to a stop, holding her face in pain.

" **Who did that?!"** She growled like an animal. Ashling heard another gunshot and lifted her third left arm, blocking a bullet that was aimed at her skull. " **I forgot the first rule of urban warfare: never take your eyes off the sniper."**

Arcee held her bleeding hand and scowled at Ashling. Then in an unprecedented move, she rushed forward and socked her in the face, knocking her back. She landed a few more punches to the femme's face, pushing her back, until she ended her barrage with a spin kick to the side of her face that Moonracer shot. Ashling cursed loudly as she crashed to the ground and hit the wall on the opposite side of the chamber.

"I don't need a weapon to fight you, Ashling." Arcee taunted. But she was inwardly worried. Ashling was a much better fighter than she took her for, and she didn't know how long she and Moonracer could hold her off. Not to mention things were getting louder in the courtyard outside.

'Come on, Gina. We don't have much time.' Arcee thought, praying that wherever she was, Gina would complete the mission soon. Or she was going to end up as the first human to die on Cybertron.

XXXXXX

When Ratchet described Vector Sigma as a supercomputer, she was expecting it to be like some large monitor with computer screens and generators hooked up to the real planetary core. But Gina realized that Vector Sigma was much, much more than that.

Vector Sigma was a massive glowing faceted orb that floated in place at the heart of the chamber, the heart of Cybertron. It glowed a dark red, which seemed…wrong for it to look like that. It looked like it was bleeding. But even from her position inside the Talos, Gina could still feel the intense pressure it was exerting, the gravitational force that held Cybertron together. By rights, she shouldn't have been able to move her Talos around without it being crushed by the core's gravity, but here she was, still alive and mobile.

The key glowed warm in her hand and Gina took a deep breath before making sure her suit was still pressurized. She then opened the hatch and leaned her body out, holding the key to the orb. As soon as she did that, the key card trembled in her hand and was yanked from her grip by some unseen force, sinking into the glassy surface of Vector Sigma. Gina saw it vanish into the orb and yelped as Vector Sigma started shining large searchlights into the chamber.

"Jinkies, I think I screwed up." Gina whimpered. Did she set off some self defense mechanism?

She was about to jump back into her cockpit when one of the searchlights fell on her. She froze, and looked up at the bright light, thinking that she was going to be vaporized or something. But nothing of the sort happened. Instead she felt a wave of calmness overwhelm her and her mind was cleared of all worries, serenity washing over her body. Vector Sigma emitted its frequency, urging her to come forward. Gina climbed out of her Talos and jumped to the ground, walking slowly towards the faceted orb. The closer she got, the brighter Vector Sigma became, and the ugly red color began to brighten into a bluish-white aura that illuminated the dark chamber.

When Gina, still in her trance, approached the edge of the solid platform, she was lifted into the air by an invisible force. She was taken into the air, floating towards the supercomputer, which was like a blue star with white flames flickering off its form. Gina's body touched the crystalline surface and she was absorbed into Vector Sigma, and at that moment she knew only…peace.

XXXXXX

Ashling flipped over Arcee and slashed at her, but she leaned to the side and kneed her in the face. Arcee tried to punch Ashling, but she had her arm grabbed and thrown into the wall. She Arcee looked up, she saw Ashling throw her discarded sword right at her head and ran up the wall to flip over the blade, letting it embed itself into the wall. She grabbed the hilt and pulled it free, swinging it as hard as she could just as Ashling lunged at her, jaws open to bite her head off.

Arcee leapt on top of a statue to avoid Ashling's attack and she brought her sword down on the Con's head. Ashling deflected the strike and kicked Arcee's in the face. She stumbled back, but took out her pistol and fired a few shots at Ashling's face. They both fell to the ground, but Arcee got to her feet, jumping up just in time to avoid getting punched through the chest by Ashling's six arms. Ashling stood on her hands and did a spin kick that caught Arcee in the face, following up with an axe-kick that slammed her head into the ground. Ashling was about to stab her sharp fingers into Arcee's back, but Moonracer came at her from behind and fired a bullet into Ashling's ribs, forcing the Con back.

"Get away from my sister!" Moonracer growled. Ashling hissed, her orange eyes flashing like broken light bulbs as she cradled her aching side.

"Moon, stay out of it!" Arcee said, wiping energon from her lip. "She's mine."

"No, this is my fight too!" Moonracer said stubbornly. "I wasn't there for you back in the WFC and I'm ready to make up for lost time."

" **How touching, the walking corpse has a heart."** Ashling sneered. She charged at the sisters and slashed her claws, forcing them apart. Arcee and Moonracer attacked at the same time with sword and scythe respectively, but Ashling jumped up and twisted her body to avoid their weapons. But as she landed, Moonracer fired her rifle at her ankle, damaging it and forcing Ashling to fall forward.

Arcee slammed her heel into Ashling's face, hard enough to chip off her metal skin and send her crashing into a worn statue of Nova Prime, causing it to fall on her. The sisters watched the statue crumble on top of her and smiled at each other.

"Nice moves." Arcee commented.

"I've had great teachers to help me while you were gone." Moonracer said, hefting her rifle onto her shoulder. "I'm still the best sharpshooter in the galaxy."

Arcee smiled and opened her mouth to reply, but instead she let out a cry of pain as energon exploded from a deep gash in her side. Moonracer gaped in shock as she saw her older sister keel over in pain, and saw Ashling behind Arcee, a deep sneer on her scarred face. Without really thinking, Moonracer transformed her rifle into its scythe mode and spun around Ashling, slashing downward onto her third set of arms and pulling the trigger, releasing a round that shattered both arms at the joint.

" **GRAAHHHH!"** Ashling roared in agony. The nerve circuits in her arms, more sensitive than a normal bot's, erupted in a blinding pain that made her fall to her knees, energon leaking from her severed power lines. **"You filthy glitch! I will finish what Flamewar was too weak to do!"**

"Come on and try me!" Moonracer replied.

Ashling struggled to her feet and was about to transform, but then the carving on the ground released a pillar of light behind her. Caught off guard, Ashling looked behind her and saw a tall figure walk out of the light-the Athena. She only had a second to wonder where Gina came from before the beam cannon unfolded from the Athena's back and formed the barrel. The Talos pulled the trigger and a bright green beam was fired from the cannon, hitting Ashling in the left side of her body and making it explode in a gory mess of metal, energon and circuitry. Ashling felt no pain as her body was blown in half in one shot and she fell to the ground, her mind slowly going dark from her systems going into stasis lock.

Arcee watched Ashling fall to Gina's surprise attack and looked up at the robot with wide eyes. "Gina?"

The Athena was covered in a bright aura of white flames, emitting heat like a candle. Its eyes were glowing white, and it walked with movements too lifelike to be solely mechanical. But Arcee was more worried about Gina, who had yet to answer her.

"Gina," Arcee said again, as Moonracer helped her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

There was no reply. Instead, the Athena's sol particle vents opened up and it sped out of the chamber, leaving behind a trail of green particles in its midst.

"Um, is something wrong with her?" Moonracer asked.

"I hope not." Arcee replied. She glanced at Ashling's body, still operational but knocking on death's door at this point. She wanted to run her sword through that witch's Spark and just be done with it, but Gina took top priority. "Let's get out of here. Her stench is making me sick."

Moonracer helped her sister out of the chamber, leaving behind the still active body of Ashling to rust for the Scraplets to feast on. Hopefully, they would never meet her again.

XXXXXX

Outside the prolonged battle was starting to affect the Valkyries. The swarm continued assaulting their position and it was getting harder to shoot them down. Exhaustion was setting in, and the lovely ladies were starting to run out of ammo for their weapons. Things were made even worse by the arrival of two more alphas, Shrapnel and Sharpshot.

"Hello ladies!" Shrapnel howled as he rushed at the Autobots. "Time to die, die, die…"

He fired grenades haphazardly from his arms as he charged at Chromia and Firestar. They shot at him and riddled his body with energy bolts, but the insane Insecticon took the blasts in stride and channeled intense bolts of electricity through his arms. He fired them at the two femmes, forcing them to jump away as the bolts blasted craters into the ground. Road Rage was fighting Sharpshot, who was in her beast mode (a large jawed steel grey sunspot spider) and firing acid blasts from the dual cannons on her back.

"Do not falter!" Sharpshot bellowed, her deep voice slightly muffled by her long mandibles. "Burn them! Rend them! Tear them apart. We will devour their innards as a victory feast!"

"Wow," Road Rage hissed as a drop of acid burned a hole in her shoulder. "You're a messed up little guy, aren't you?"

Sharpshot howled and charged at her. Road Rage fired her rocket launcher, managing to take off one of her front legs before she pounced on her. The Autobot was knocked to the ground and lifted her arm to block Sharpshot from beheading her with her jaws. She let out a pained cry as the Insecticon's mandibles took hold of her forearm and squeezed hard, nearly crushing her arm.

"RR?" Flareup jumped on Sharpshot's back and planted a shape charge on her thorax. She detonated the bomb and Sharpshot released her grip on Road Rage as her back was lit on fire, with her inner components exposed.

"I will tear out your innards, filthy animal!" Sharpshot yelled and transformed into her robot mode, a short but bulky femme with a drooling mouth full of sharp teeth gnashing together. She ran at Flareup, but Glyph jumped in front of her and fired a plasma beam into her chest, blasting it open and sending the alpha crashing into a bruiser.

"RR, how's your arm?" Flareup asked. Flashpoint was already seeing to the wound, running her fingers along the crushed metal of Road Rage's forearm.

"Nothing vital was damaged, but I doubt you'll be using that arm for the rest of the day." Flashpoint said.

"Oh joy." Road Rage scowled. This wasn't the time for any of them to get wounded now.

Chromia grunted as she got hit in the arm by a lightning bolt and stumbled back. Shrapnel advanced upon her, but Firestar rammed into him in her alt mode, driving over him and burning her rear thrusters into his face, blinding him with white hot flames. Firestar transformed and kicked Shrapnel in the head before running over to Chromia and helping her up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Chromia pushed Firestar away and looked at her team. They were still fighting, but were seriously tired and running on fumes at this point. They couldn't last any longer.

'Damn it,' She thought. 'Sorry Lita, looks like we won't be coming back after all.'

At that moment, the Athena burst out of the temple and flew into the air. Valkyries and Insecticons alike tracked the Talos with their eyes as the mecha flew into the air and unleashed large amounts of sol particles from his back-mounted vents, giving the illusion of wide, green wings of sparkling ether. The Athen pointed its beam cannon down at the battlefield and fired, sending a powerful beam into the heart of the swarm. The explosion that followed rattled the ground and sent the Insecticons scattering. Another shot caused the bugs attacking the fortified barrier to burst into showers of metal shards and flames.

"Where are you going? Stand and fight!" Sharpshot screamed. But the swarm was already breaking apart. Their natural instinct to fight or flight in the face of a powerful enemy had taken over and not even the alphas could keep them anchored to the area. To the horror of the three alphas, their swarm flew away in different directions, eager to avoid getting destroyed by this strange alien being.

"No, no, NO!" Kickback roared. "I didn't come all this way to get chased off by some fake robot!"

Kickback took on his beast mode and leapt off the ground, reaching hundreds of feet in just a few seconds. He reached the same level the Athena was on and transformed, taking out his sub-machine gun and pointing it at the Talos. But in a feat of great speed, the Athena spun around and slapped the nozzle of the gun away before pointing one of its pulse cannons at Kickback and firing a shot. Kickback's head exploded in a gory mess and fell back to the ground, hitting the side of a pillar before tumbling to the ground.

"Kickback!" Sharpshot yelled. One shot had taken him out like he was nothing! What was this creature?

"We must retreat," Shrapnel hissed, glaring at the Valkyries. "We've lost our advantage. Take Kickback and let's go, go, go."

Sharpshot wanted to argue against his decision, but saw that they were indeed outnumbered. With the tables having turned so quickly against them, she knew that it would be better to run away to fight another day. With a curse on the Autobots' Sparks, Sharpshot transformed and scurried over to Kickback's headless body, grabbing his leg and dragging him away with Shrapnel flying close behind her.

"Holy slag." Firestar breathed, looking at the Athena in awe as it slowly landed on the ground. "That was some firepower you were packing kid."

"Gina!"

Arcee and Moonracer came rushing out of the citadel. Flashpoint immediately got to work on fixing Arcee's wounds with her torch weld.

"Cee, Moon, what happened? Where's Ashling?" Chromia asked.

"Gina took her out with one shot and then flew out here." Moonracer said. She looked around at the smoking Insecticon scrap. "I guess she gave these guys the same treatment."

Firestar snorted. "You have no idea."

The Athena landed on the ground near the Valkyries and the flaming aura surrounding it faded away. Chromia and Firestar cautiously approached it and tried to call Gina.

"Kid? You doing okay in there?" Chromia said.

Arcee bit her lip when she heard no reply come from the ivory robot, but then a shaky voice spoke through the Athena's speakers. "C-Chromia? Arcee?"

"Gina, oh thank Primus you're alright!" Arcee smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just dazed." Gina said, sounding a little out of sorts. Arcee wondered what had the girl sound so spooked.

"Do you have it?" Glyph asked eagerly. "The key, did you get it?"

Gina moved her unit's hand and opened it, showing them the glowing key card. It was charged with the energy it gleamed from Vector Sigma, and they could feel its light rejuvenating them slightly.

"Atta girl!" Firestar grinned.

"She actually did it!" Moonracer cheered and hugged Arcee.

"I always knew she could do it." The pink Autobot said proudly. "Humans are a hardy bunch."

Chromia patted Gina's mecha on the shoulder and turned to her team. "Let's save the celebrations ladies until we're back at Orbital Command. Now let's transform and get the hell out of here before we awaken some giant beetle or something."

XXXXXX

Once again, the ancient site of Stonehenge was the site of another Cybertronian battle. Autobots and Decepticons were locked in a standoff, weapons pointed at another, but no one firing a shot without provocation or orders from their superiors. Prowl realized that this was almost an exact reenactment of the battle for the N-17 cache, except that Optimus was now pointing a gun at his head now. He didn't want to fight now, not with the stargate in the line of fire. If anything happened to it, then Arcee, Jetfire and Gina were as good as gone.

"I'm not going to tell you again," Optimus growled. "Surrender or die!"

"We heard you the first time. And our answer is still the same," Prowl said. "We're not doing either."

"Tell me how did you get the stargate working again." Megatron ordered. "I know your transwarp drive is as good as dead at this point, so how in Mortilus' name did you get it to work for you?"

"Like we'd tell you." Bulkhead said.

Flamewar's eyes scanned the Autobots and noticed that they were missing two of their number. "My sister and that flyboy are missing. Did you send them through?"

"You're smart. Try to put the pieces together." Ironhide sneered.

"Enough of this! I will get my answers one way or another!" Megatron said and raised his cannon. "Decepti-"

"Wait, Megatron." Optimus said, placing a hand on the warlord's shoulder. "I believe there is another matter we should attend to before we finish them off."

Megatron faced Prime with a look of impatience. "And what would that be?"

"This."

Optimus slugged Megatron in the face hard enough to send him crashing into one of Stonehenge's monoliths. Nightshade, surprised and outraged, moved to attack, but was halted by a hand from Megatron. Megatron wiped energon from a cut on his cheek and smiled.

"Heh, so you've finally made your move." He said, standing up. "But I must confess, I expected you to mobilize much sooner than this."

"Where is the fun in that?" Optimus sneered and cracked his neck. "I plan to kill you in full view of both friends and enemies, Megatron. And when I finsh carving your corpse into little energon cubes, I'll show this world the full might of a true Prime!"

"One step at a time, Prime!"

Megatron fired his fusion cannon, but Optimus ducked under the beam and rushed at him with his energo-axe deployed. Megatron summoned his arm blade and they clashed in a flurry of sparks, glaring into each other's eyes. They fought with such ferocity and hatred that neither side dared to interfere. But no one realized that Optimus had something else up his sleeve. And it had something to do with the small device hidden in Megatron's shoulder joint.

XXXXXX

Elita-1 bit her lip as she waited anxiously for the return of the Valkyries and their guests. She desperately wanted to go along with them, help them save Optimus, her lost lover. But even when it mattered the most she couldn't bring herself to actually go with them to Cybertron. Four million years and the memories of her failure still seemed fresh in her mind. Autobots everywhere called her a hero, their goddess of victory, but she felt like a coward.

"You'll wear a hole in the floor if you keep tapping your foot like that." Perceptor said as he entered her office.

"Perceptor," She turned from the window to address him. She needed a distraction. "How's the modifications on Jetfire going?"

"They're right on schedule. Just a few more tweeks and his fold drive should be fully operational."

"Fold drive?" Elita-1 inquired.

"It's the new name I christened for the component, a personal transportation device based off an outlier's power. Less powerful than the standard transwarp drive unless enhanced by an external power source." Preceptor explained. "I'm glad that it worked. I don't think I could've lived with myself if something happened to Jetfire because of me."

"That's the cons of being a scientist, Perceptor. Sometimes, you have to deal with the consequences." She said softly.

Preceptor studied his commander and sighed. "Elita-1, no one blames you for not going. What happened with Thunderwing, it wasn't your fault. None of us could've predicted that disaster."

"But we were warned of the damage we were doing to Cybertron. I knew exactly what was going on, and still I fought." Elita-1 shook her head and looked back out the window. "All those lives, gone in seconds. It was like watching Trypticon's fall all over again."

Neither said anything after that. Preceptor knew that Elita-1's guilt ran deep, and wasn't going away any time soon. Her sessions with Rung had dulled her self-loathing, but only marginally, and her aversion to going near Cybertron was still strong as ever. But he was glad that she refrained from forcing herself to do it. Wounds, even mental ones, needed time, not force, to heal them.

The intercom on her desk turned on before Dogfight's voice came through. " _Ma'am, we just got word from the Valkyries. They're returning to base right now."_

"I'm on my way." Elita-1 said before giving Perceptor a smile. They left the office and headed towards the docking bay where the shuttle was already parked.

When they reached the shuttle, Flahspoint was leading Road Rage and Arcee to the infirmary with Gina in tow. Elita-1 wanted to see to her fellow Valkyries, but Chromia urged her along, knowing that she was dying to know how the mission went. Elita-1 went to the med bay, where Arcee sat on the recharge slab with her tiny human friend standing next to her. Moonracer gave her a big smile and a wave.

"Hey Elita," Arcee smiled. "We're back."

"And in one piece." Elita-1 replied and looked at Gina. "Do you have it, little one?"

Gina smiled and held up the key card, which was still glowing a faint white hue. Elita-1 gasped, amazed that Gina, a human, was able to really get near to Vector Sigma, key or not. But the girl herself looked like she had been through a lot.

"I'll let you two rest for a while. Preceptor is almost done working on Jetfire."

"He still isn't finished?" Gina blinked. "But we've been gone for so long."

"I know. How do you think Jetfire feels?" Elita-1 smirked.

She left the room to allow the two to heal and rest up before they traveled back to Terra. Thankfully, they got a good amount of R&R in before Perceptor announced that he was done working on Jetfire's fold drive and Arcee and Gina gathered in the Autobot's lab. Elita-1 and the Valkyries assembled in the room to see them off.

"I wish you could've stayed longer, but I understand that you have a mission to complete." Elita-1 said, giving Arcee a hug. "It's good to see you again, Arcee."

"Likewise." Arcee said. "We'll tell the others about you, I promise."

"And you, Gina Harkins," Elita-1 knelt down to the girl's level to look her in the eyes. "I want to thank you on behalf of the Autobots for risking your life to save Optimus. You've done more for our kind than any other organic has in the past 4 million years."

"Optimus and the rest of the team have done a lot for my planet. I just wanted to return the favor." Gina said. She held her hand out, and Elita-1 shook it with her finger.

Preceptor and Flashpoint hooked the targeting computer and fusion generators to Jetfire's body to give him the boost that he needed to teleport across the galaxy.

"The drive should transport you to your original coordinates, though I suggest that you refrain from doing anymore long distance teleportation." Perceptor said.

"No arguments from me, doc. I'm prepared to take one for the team!" Jetfire sauntered up to Flashpoint. "Though I could be convinced to stay a little longer."

"Just take your friends and leave." Flashpoint groaned.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Moonracer ran into the room and nearly bowled Arcee over. "I want to come too!"

"No Moon, trust me when I say that Terra is dangerous if you don't know what you're getting into." Arcee placed her hands on Moonracer's shoulders and smiled at her. "Knowing that you're here, alive and safe, is more than enough. Elita-1 and the Valkyries will take care of you."

Moonracer pouted, but it faded when Arcee hugged her tightly. Arcee let go and stepped back to stand besides Jetfire and Gina. Placing his hands on the girls' shoulders, Jetfire nodded to Perceptor, who activated the generator. Jetfire concentrated on activating his fold drive, and the three began to distort as space warp around them. With a loud crackle, the two Autobots and human girl were gone in a flash, leaving behind a black scorchmark on the floor.

"That's going to be a mess to clean up." Perceptor frowned.

"Do you think they made it back?" Elita-1 asked her friend. Chromia placed a hand on Elita-1's shoulder.

"I'd say they did. Primus seems to be smiling on us today, that's for sure." Chromia said.

"Yeah, Arcee's a strong girl. So is that human she came with." Firestar grinned. "That girl is no joke."

"That's true." Elita-1 smiled. Then she noticed something odd and looked around. "Hey, where's Moonracer?"

XXXXXX

For twenty minutes Optimus and Megatron drawled. Neither Autobtos nor Decepticons made a move, despite the rising urge to interfere. It had been a long time before the two leaders fought like this with such brutality, some hadn't seen a fight like this since Optimus and Megatron's battle in Iacon, not long after Optimus became a Prime. Te infected Prime wielded his axe with great skill, and was parrying each of Megatron's blows. Megatron returned the attacks in kind, showing his own skill with a blade.

But something was wrong.

The longer the fight went on, the more people began to notice hoe Optimus remained on the defensive instead of attacking. Megatron, however, was on the offensive, but he was moving slower. His movements became sluggish, and he his attacks weren't landing. It didn't take long for Megatron to notice this as well.

"What's happening to me?" Megatron growled, feeling a bit dizzy.

"That would be my little surprise for you." Optimus chuckled. "Do you like it?"

"Go to hell!"

Megatron charged at Optimus, preparing to run him through, but Optimus merely sidestepped him and elbow Megatron in the torso. He punched his face and grabbed his arm, spinning his body around so that he had Megatron's arm twisted in an awkward angle. Megatron grunted in pain and tried to struggle.

"How does it fell, Megatron?" Optimus whispered. "To feel so weak? It reminds you of your stint as a miner in Cybertron's bowels, doesn't it? Oh, if Elmeth could see you now, she'd be ashamed of how far you have fallen."

Megatron shot up at that name and used his strength to break freee of Prime's hold, ignoring the loud crack of his arm snapping. He swung his sword at Optimus, but he jumped away, allowing Megatron to charge after him like a rabid bull. Optimus gave an unseen smirk and snapped his fingers.

BOOM!

The entire left side of Megatron's body exploded. Everyone was silent as everything from Megatron's left arm to nearly his Spark core was blasted apart, taking out most of his torso, waist and his legs at the hips. Nightshade was horrified as she saw her commander fall to the ground in a bloody mess, already falling into stasis lock.

"I planted a little bug on your body that absorbs the energy your neural net produces to move your limbs. The more you moved, the more energy you expended." Optimus said as if Megatron could hear him now. "Then it was designed to use that energy to detonate within your body. Very efficient for a mech with little to no technical experience, yes?"

Seeing Megatron lying on the ground with Optius gloating over is demise had set something off in Nightshade's mid. It had sent the cold, collected warrior in to a blind rage.

"KILL HIM! KILL THEM ALL!" Nightshade roared.

Like a switch, every Decepticon present opened fire on the Autobots, who quickly took cover and fired back at them. Soundwave dutifully retrieve what pieces of Megatron's body he could gather and summoned a ground bridge to drag his leader into. Optimus made to shoot the spymaster down, but Nightshade had already drawn Gandiva and fired an arrow at him. The ethereal projectile hit Prime dead center in his chest, but aside from pushing him back a little, he was largely unharmed.

"I don't know why you're so angry, Nightshade." Optimus laughed. "It's not like he gave a damn about you."

"Shut up and die!"

She pulled the string back and charged another arrow to full power and fired it. Optimus batted the arrow away with his arm and let it explode behind him, blasting away Barricade and Ironhide. Nightshade lunged at him and tried to cut him down with her dual blades, but Optimus dodged every one of her attacks, laughing maniacally as he did so. Starscream tried to take him down with a null blast, but Optimus quickly got into his face and punched him hard enough to knock a few teeth loose. Nightshade swung her swords at his head, but he deflected them with the barrel of his ion cannon and stared her in the eyes.

"Please, jeep trying to kill me. You're doing such a great job anyway." He taunted her. He kicked her in the chest and she skidded back across the ground.

" _Nightshade, you must retreat."_ Soundwave said over the comm.

"Not until I tear out Prime's Spark!" She hissed.

" _Megatron's condition is top priority. And you are not in the right state of mind to fight Prime."_ Soundwave continued. " _Let him deal with the Autobots for us."_

Nightshade gritted her teeth so hard that they began to screech. Then she gave the order for her forces to retreat. She glared at Optimus Prime, muttering, "This isn't over!"

She ran into the ground bridge with the other Decepticons and the portal vanished. With the Decepticons gone, Optimus turned to the Autobots, his face looking more bloodthirsty than earlier.

"Now who wants to die first?"

XXXXXX

Ratchet was at an impasse. The constant changes of the tide of this conflict was putting him through a loop. He thought they were in trouble when the Cons arrived, but clearly everyone underestimated Prime's darkness. Now the Autobots were faced with having to either capture of kill their leader and they still had no way to reverse the infection.

"Ratchet, can't you do something?" Penny begged. "Prime's gonna kill them!"

"There's nothing I can do. Optimus's condition is getting worse, and I fear the more he fights the less chance we have at curing him." Ratchet said, looking helpless. "I can't do anything."

Sparkplug had never seen Ratchet look this distraught, but being a medic, he figured that Ratchet felt weak for not being able to help his friend. But salvation came at just the right time.

"Doc, Teletran-1 just detected a transwarp signal in Nebrask!" Longarm reported.

"What?"

Ratchet ran over to the computer and checked the readings a spatial distortion in Delpoi, one similar to the signal caused by the transwarp drive in Airlann. Then he saw three familiar life signals on the screen.

"Arcee? Jetfire?"

" _We're here, Ratchet. All three of us."_ Arcee said through the speakers. The humans and Minicons all cheered at the news. Darren and Annie hugged each other, relieved at the knowledge that their best friend was alive and back on terra firma. Ratchet was just as happy, but he had to reign his relief in. Now came the hard part.

" _We're glad to be back guys, but now's not the time to celebrate."_ Gina said. " _We need to get the key to Optimus pronto!"_

"Yes, Gina, but hurry. The others are already fighting Optimus, but they're losing. His condition is getting worse by the second." Ratchet said.

As Ratchet worked on sending them a ground bridge, Sparkplug noticed something odd on the screen. "Um, I'm getting three Autobot signals there. Is this…?"

" _It's okay, Sparkplug,"_ Arcee sighed. " _We have a little…tag along who jumped on for the ride."_

XXXXXX

The battle between the Autobots and their leader was going south. Most of them were on the ground, beaten and dented by Optimus himself. Optimus was now fighting Ironhide, Jazz and Prowl without tiring, swinging his axe like a pole arm. His weapon moved so fast in the air, it was like an orange blur. Jazz and Prowl were only moderately damaged, but Ironhide sported the worst of it, taking heavy blows to is dense armored skin as he fought Prime up close.

But as they fought Optimus, Prime's strength was growing, and the mad gleam in his eyes was more prominent now. His words were more savage, and his movements more aggressive. The plague was taking its hold on his mind and they were powerless to stop it.

"Prime, snap out of it!" Ironhide grunted. He was trying to wrestle the axe from Optimus's grip, but couldn't fight his strength "Stay in control!"

" **Control? I am in control!"** Prime's voice was distorted and deeper. He punched Ironhide in the face, nearly dislocating his jaw, and brought his axe blade down on Ironhide's shoulder. **"I AM OPTIMUS PRIME! THE ALMIGHTY AND ALL POWERFUL! YOU CANNON HARM ME!"**

Jazz tried to land a kick on his face, but Optimus grabbed his leg and threw him into the ground.

" **I AM A KING AMONG PEASANTS!"**

Prowl fired his rifle, but cursed as the electrical discharge merely reflected off Prime's chest. Optimus ran up to him and kicked Prowl in the face, bringing his fists down on his back to bring the officer down. Prowl looked up to see the inside of Prime's ion cannon as it was pointed at his face.

" **I am a god."**

Optimus pulled the trigger, but an energy beam hit him in the back, making him stumble and miss his shot. From a ground bridge that manifested behind him, Arcee leapt from it, kneeing Optimus in the face. As she delivere a series of fast strikes to distract him, Gina came through in her Athena Talos, the key in hand. As soon as she set eyes on Optimus, Gina felt her mind go blank as something else took over. She opened the hatch and jump to the ground, walking towards the fighting Autobots.

" **Who are you to challenge me!"** Optimus roared and slammed Arcee to the ground. He planted his large foot on his chest and glared down at her. But then he noticed the human walking towards him. **"You. You will be the next to fall, girl!"**

" _Optimus Prime,"_ Gina said in a voice not her own. It was a woman's voice, one that was composed of two other voices. _"Remember."_

The key floated from her hands and into the air, firing a beam of light into Prime's chest. Optimus grunted as he was brought to his knees by the energy coursing through him. The key floated closer to him as it connected to the Matrix, and his body erupted in white hot pain.

" **AGH!"**

His body began to glow a dark crimson red, and everyone watched as the taint corroding Prime's mind and body was violently ripped from his body like a scab. Gina stood at the epicenter of it all, the key's influence still clouding her mind. Optimus twitched and struggled, even as the red taint evolved into a luminous white. The high pitched ringing that screeched in the air had reached unbearable levels and reached its zenith when the last of the infection was purged from his body. There was a great, bright explosion of prismatic light that blinded everyone, forcing them to look away.

When they were able to see again, the Autobots saw Optimus and Gina lying on the ground. The Prime's armor had returned back to its normal red and blue, his voice returned to its normal levels, with smoke rising off his form. Beside Gina was the key, which was also smoking and had lost its glow.

"Ugh, what…" Optimus groaned and pushed himself to his knees. He looked around and saw Gina lying on the ground. He grunted as he lifted his arms, which felt like they were made of lead, and took her up in his hands as she started to wake up.

"Optimus…?" Gina said tiredly.

"Gina? What are you doing here?" Optimus asked weakly. "I remember stopping the stargate and…nothing."

Gina gave him a tiny smile. "It's a long story. But all I can say is welcome back, Optimus."

The other Autobots, damaged but still functional, all gathered around the now cured Prime, happy to see him back to normal again. Optimus was still wondering what was going on, but he could tell that something big just happened.

"Woohoo! Alright, we did it!"

Everyone turned to see the mint green form of Moonracer jumping cheerfully. Arcee groaned and face palmed, looking at her friends sheepishly.

"My little sister everybody."

XXXXXX

Gina sat on top of the Ark's outer hull, swinging her legs off the edge of the rear thrusters. It was late evening, but she had Sara tell her mother that she was staying at Darren and Annie's house for a sleepover. She needed some alone time for herself to process what she went through.

It had been a chaotic day. Everyone was celebrating the return of Optimus Prime and the critical blow dealt to Megatron by said Prime. Optimus had spent the last two hours being briefed by Prowl on recent events and it was a lot to take in. Surprisingly Prowl had reassured Optimus that he was not himself when he fought the team, and shouldn't act like they were his conscious choices. Gina herself, after being checked for any signs of radiation poisoning or detrimental effects left over from her little space adventure, was assaulted by her friends; Darren, Annie, Penny, Kevin, Debbie, they were all so glad to have her back, and she was glad to be back. Sureshock was a sobbing mess, though she couldn't shed any tears, and even Sara looked relieved to have her back.

Arcee introduced the team to the new addition to their ranks, Moonracer, who was her little sister who had been resurrected by some unknown power. It was a shock to everyone, especially Ratchet, who did an autopsy on Moonracer after her first "death". But they welcomed her aboard. There would be time to show her the ropes, but for now, everyone, human and Cybertronian, wanted to rest and recharge.

But she couldn't sleep. Not after being through what she had seen. Gina figured that some fresh air was in order to clear her head, and from the sound of the large footsteps coming her way, someone else felt the same as well. Optimus and Gina sat together on the Ark listening to the quiet sounds of the forest.

"Vector Sigma," Gina took a deep breath of the cool night air. "Is it really a supercomputer or something else?"

"That is a question we've been asking ourselves for eon, Gina. Only a handful of beings have seen Vector Sigma face to face, I am not one of them." Optimus said, looking up at the moon-Luna. "It's a question almost as common as the origins of our species, and I must admit, I am not eager to find the answer to those questions."

"Sometimes, it's best to wait for the answers to come to you, than trying to seek them out." Gina said, twirling the key card in her hands before holding it up to Optimus. "You should take this. I've done my part."

Optimus took the tiny key in his hands and it reconfigured into a larger shape, fitting snug in his hands. "Thank you for saving my life."

Tilting her head, Gina peered up at her massive friend. "Thank you for believing in me."

They sat quietly like that for some time before she spoke again. "Is Vector Sigma some kind of entity? Like a god or something?"

"That's what many scholars seem to believe. But I doubt that we will find the answer in this lifetime." Optimus replied. "But the Matrix came from Vector Sigma, thus I believe that it is something intelligent enough to call out to you in your time of greatest need. It is as you've said. Wait for the answer and it will come." Tilting back his head, he peered up at the sky, and through it, to the stars beyond.

XXXXXX

 _Gina Harkins. You, a child of Terra who has been blessed by the Prime, are at the crossroads of destiny. You fate, and those of your peers, are now intertwined with that of my children. The trials ahead will either strengthen you, or break you down to your core. The Dolems have tasted the power of the Matrix and they will hunt down my children across the galaxy to learn what it is. It will bring about a war not seen since before the universe cooled down. The Shapings have dictated that you are now a part of the Circle, and thus you now involved in the events that will engulf all worlds touched by the Dolems. Help me stop this cataclysm before it destroys everything I have created._

 _I cannot bear to see my children fight once more._


	7. Sting

Chapter 7-Sting

A small, yellow VW bug drove down the lone, barren Texan landscape. It drove through the rocky terrain, tearing up the ground as it did doughnuts and left a heavy cloud of dust in its wake. The tiny vehicle was moving so fast that the ambulance and the mint green sports car were having trouble keeping up with him.

"Bee, slow down!" Ratchet called out. "You just got out of the med bay. You shouldn't push yourself so much!"

"I'm fine, Ratchet. Hell, I feel great!" Bumblebee laughed and sun in place, kicking up more dust into the air.

If he had been in robot mode, Ratchet would be shaking his head in exasperation. It had been a week and a half since Gina's fantastic voyage to Cybertron. Gina and Optimus were still recovering from their respective ordeals, while Prowl filled Optimus in on everything that went on since the hate plague incident. During that time, Bumblebee's recover was going smoothly, and just two days ago he was cleared or active duty thanks to Ratchet's hard work. The young Autobot was restless as he had to wait for his neuronet to fully assimilate to his newly rebuilt legs.

Bumblebee was disappointed that he missed out on so many things, namely seeing Gina off on what was probably the greatest trip of her life. But the happy faces of his friends curbed his disappointment, as everyone was glad to see that he made it through. They've been through enough already, having their scout back finally set everyone at ease.

"Aw, let him race, doc." Jolt said from above. "You'd be hyper to if you were cooped up inside for three days."

"Honestly," Ratchet sighed.

"Maybe it's a good idea to just let him go." Moonracer said. "He looks fine."

"Moonracer," Ratchet said, but she waved him off.

"If anything went wrong, Jolt knows to contact the others." She told him and looked up at the Minicon. "Isn't that right, Jolt?"

"You got it!"

Arcee's formerly dead sister had hitched a ride on Jetfire's fold initiation and followed her sister to Terra, pretty much stranding herself on the planet with them. It pissed Arcee off something fierce when she realized what Moonracer did, but there was nothing she could do other than teach her sister what there was to know about Terra and its people. Optimus formerly welcomed her to the team and she scanned a terran alt mode to blend in. She got used to life on Terra fairly quickly, but she was a curious femme who didn't know when to sit down for more than five minutes.

Ratchet wanted to berate Moonracer for her bleeding heart. All Bumblebee had to do was give her and the children a puppy dog look and they'd cave in to his side. He shouldn't even be driving around on his wheels right now, he should be doing physical therapy to make sure his legs were operating correctly. Still, it was better to let him run out of energy now, so working on him would be easier later on.

"Fine, Bumblebee can stay out," He said and quickly added, "But I'm staying to keep an eye on you."

"No problem Ratchet!"

It was refreshing to see someone so full of life run and play after all the grim events that had surrounded them the past week. Bumblebee was always the liveliest of the team, the most optimistic, so seeing him in a coma as a mangled piece of metal and circuitry was deeply disturbing for those who had seen him after his near death experience with Megatron. It was odd seeing a mech born in the middle of a bloody war go through life with a smile on his face. With so much violence going on around them, a smile was definitely something they needed.

XXXXXX

Penny wasn't Gina's best friend. They've always been at each other's throats since that feud in Washington began. Sure, Penny had all the money, resources and even her own private stash of hephaestium, but Gina had what he always wanted herself; family (parents that actually made time for their child), friends (Kevin was sweet, but she liked to have someone else to talk to when he wasn't around), and the title of first human to visit an alien world under her belt. Penny tried not to let that last one get to her, but it was grating.

Gina was one of the first to meet an alien race, to learn their language, to make plasma based weapons (how she did that was beyond her), to go to an alien planet and meet a freaking space god! So many discoveries and she wasn't even in her teens yet! Penny was beyond jealous, though that was tempered by the fact that she and her friends were smack dab in the middle of a war that almost let to her cute little behind getting incinerated alongside Kevin one time. At least she discovered Queen Sheba's tomb, so that was something at least. And Gina got some sweet pictures of Cybertron!

"This is unreal." Penny breathed as she cycled through the photos that Gina took during her time on Cybertron. They downloaded the data onto Gina's laptop and were now looking at the pictures intently. "So many Autobots in one place. I wonder how big they're space station is."

"It's massive," Gina said. "Seriously, I think the entire station could be as big as Luna."

"No way!"

"Yes way. And those Autobots you see aren't even the biggest." Gina said and went into detail of what she saw.

Penny studied her friend as she talked and noted how different Gina looked to her. Ever since she returned from her potentially one way trip, Gina had a glow about her, like she had seen something that she couldn't forget even if she tried. Gina talked about her meeting with the other Autobots, traveling with the Valkyries, fighting Insecticons, but she mysteriously steered clear of talking about Vector Sigma. She thought that Gina just didn't think it was that important to talk about, but as the conversation went on, she realized that Gina was purposefully avoiding the subject and wanted to know why. When she inquired about the "mystical" supercomputer, Gina went quiet and her expression fell.

"What is it, Gina? The Bots say that it created them, birthed them and all that but what does that exactly mean?" Penny asked.

"I don't know, Penny. Jinkies, I wish I knew, but I just can't explain it in words." Gina said and shook head with a sigh. "Vector Sigma, isn't just some super advanced machine, it's like this quasi-sentient being. A force of some kind that has powers I can't even dream of. I checked the camera footage on the Athena and apparently I joined with Vector Sigma after it…sent me into some kind of trance."

Penny put a hand to her mouth and unconsciously reached for Gina's hand to support her. That must have been creepy. "Damn girl, no wonder you don't want to talk about it. You doing okay?"

"I'm fine. Ratchet gave me a clean bill of health, but I know something's different about me. You don't just go through what I experienced and not come out unscathed. I'm not having dreams or visions anymore, but then Sara found something else…"

Gina motioned for Penny to get behind her and moved her blonde hair to reveal the back of her neck. At the base of her spine was a black tattoo etched onto her skin. Penny gaped at the odd symbol, it was curved like a letter written in cursive and definitely alien.

"Sara saw it after I got out of the shower last week." Gina whispered. She didn't sound scared, but a little concerned. "It's Cybertronian, but ancient. As in none of the other Autobots could read it if I showed them."

"Have you told anyone this?"

"Aside from Sara? No one knows. I don't want to worry them over something that could potentially be nothing."

Penny stepped back and put her hands on her hips. "Girl, you can't hide something like this from the Bots. Gina, you don't just get alien tattoos after pulling a Vaultron with some freaky magic god machine that births alien robots. That's not normal, no matter what they say."

Gina turned around. "Please, Penny don't say anything. It's just a tattoo, and I don't plan on telling anyone unless something happens to me. I only told you because I trust you to keep a secret."

"You trust me?" Penny said with wide eyes. "Me? The girl who you've been trying to outdo for nearly four years and counting?"

"Penny, you're like me. A girl who wants nothing more than to be recognized for making great discoveries. We a lot alike in that sense. And I trust you because you'd do the same thing in my position and ask me to keep quiet for you."

Penny bit her lip. Yeah, she was right. She would keep a tight lid on this. But there were so many things that could go wrong here. That marking could either be a harmless brand or something that could get worse as time went on. Despite the dangers that could be involved, Penny sighed and nodded her confirmation to keep quiet for Gina's sake.

"I won't say anything to the bots or to the others. But the minute that tattoo start's doing some freaky mojo, we're telling them." Penny said firmly. "We good?"

"I understand." Gina replied and smiled. "Thanks Penny."

"Anything to for a fellow gold digger." Penny grinned.

Gina was happy she could trust Penny with this. She was scared the first time she saw it on her back, but after waiting to see if anything happened, she knew that it was harmless. But what she didn't tell Penny was that Sara knew what the symbol meant. How that was possible only added more questions to the already baffling android, but according to Sara, the symbol was ancient Cybertronian for "Aritificer". She had no idea what that meant, but she knew it was a title of some sort, a status that was bestowed upon her by Vector Sigma itself.

XXXXXX

Bumblebee drove down a loan road in Nebrask, he managed to convince Optimus to let him go out with Bulkhead on patrol for energon. It was just a dull recon mission that wasn't too stressful on him, so he reassured him and Ratchet that he was going to be fine. Their concern was touching, but he could do without the babysitting.

" _Hey, Bee,"_ Bulkhead said over the comm. _"I'm getting an energy sig near your position. It might be nothing, but could you check it out? I'll be with you in a few minutes."_

"Sure thing, Bulk." Bumblebee replied. Maybe it was some energon. They needed some new deposits with the ones they secured starting to dry up.

He drove towards the location where the energy readings were coming from. Once he reached the location, a small canyon near a rocky outcropping, he shifted to robot mode and walked towards the epicenter. Sitting on the ground was some strange device that looked like some kind of locator beacon. But it wasn't one he ever seen before.

"What is this thing?" He asked himself.

He bent down to inspect it, but out of nowhere, something attached itself to his chest and Bumblebee's body was violently electrocuted by the tiny device. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground, his systems overloaded as he fell into unconsciousness.

Not a moment later, three helicopters flew over the cliff side and landed around the fallen Autobot. A group of men in black bodysuits ran out and moved in on Bumblebee, with their commander exiting the chopper after them. The Zodiac general Aries watched his men surround the Autobot with their EMP rifles pointed at him. One of the technicians ran up to him.

"Sir, we've got another N.B.E. on the way. ETA, two minutes."

"Work briskly." Aries commanded.

The technician nodded and was handed a briefcase by one of the other soldiers. Running over to Bumblebee, he knelt down by the Autobot's lower torso and opened the briefcase to take out a few components, which he assembled into a specially made high powered drill. The man then started drilling into the side of Bumblebee's abdomen, making a hole large enough to reach his arms inside.

Aries watched his surroundings like a hawk, and his third eye caught sight of Bulkhead's large form driving down the road. "The backup's ahead of schedule."

"As luck would have it," The technician pulled out a large, round spherical device from Bumblebee's body, his arms covered in energon. "So am I."

"Move out!"

The soldiers piled into the helicopters and took off as soon as the last man was inside. They were already gone by the time Bulkhead arrived in his vehicle mode and transformed to check up on his friend.

"Bee! Bee, you okay?" Bulkhead leaned over the scout and roughly patted his face to wake him up. "Come on, Bee, nap time's over."

Bumblebee groaned as he came back online. His head felt fuzzy as he leaned up on his elbows and saw Bulkhead looking down at him. "What happened?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Bulkhead said and noticed the hole drilled into the scout's side. "Bee, you're hurt. Were you attacked?"

"No idea. I was investigating that energy reading you told me about and the…nothing." Bumblebee rubbed his head. "I don't remember anything else after that."

Bumblebee stood back up shakily, refusing any help from Bulkhead. He hissed and grasped his abdomen, which felt sore and unbalanced.

"You sure you're okay?" Bulkhead was not doctor, but he knew that his little friend was not in prime condition.

"Don't worry, Bulk, I'll live. But we need to get the scrapheaps that jumped me." Bumblebee said. "I think we can still catch them."

Bulkhead transformed and drove back to the road to chase after the three choppers he saw leaving the area. Bumblebee ran forward, fully expecting his body to convert into vehicle mode-except he didn't. He stopped, confused, and tried to transform again, only to feel a sharp pain in his lower abdomen and nothing.

Bulkhead noticed that Bumblebee was not with him and he spun around to drive over to his paralyzed comrade, reverting back to robot mode. "What's wrong? We rolling or not?"

Bumblebee tried to transform again, but only some of his armor twitched before doing nothing. Bulkhead looked at him with deep concern as he saw the scout start to panic.

"Bulkhead, something's wrong! I can't transform!"

XXXXXX

A few minutes later, everyone was assembled in them med bay watching Ratchet do some diagnostic scans on the frightened Bumblebee. No one said anything as they let the doctor work, but finally Moonracer couldn't take the silence.

"Find anything yet, doc?" She asked.

"No more than since the last time you asked me three minutes ago, Moonracer." Ratchet replied, getting annoyed with the femme's constant chatter.

"Do you have an idea on what's wrong with him?" Gin asked.

"I'm hoping it's nothing serious," Ratchet said. "Just some minor damage to his T-cog."

"T-cog?" Annie wrinkled her nose. "What, is that the Cybertronian equivalent of a funny bone?"

"It's the organ that allows us to transform and scan alt modes." Arcee explained.

"And a very important component of our physiology." Ratchet added. Once he finished his scans, he checked the results on his onboard computer, and what he learned wasn't pleasant at all. "Oh, Primus."

"What's wrong?" Bumblebee asked.

"Your T-cog isn't damaged, it's missing!"

That statement shocked everyone, even Prowl, but Bumblebee was the most horrified. Ironhide was the first to ask what everyone was thinking.

"What do you mean missing? It couldn't have just gotten up and rolled away."

"I don't know what to tell you, Ironhide." Ratchet hooked some cords to his arm and transferred X-Ray images of Bumblebee's body onto the screen. He pointed to the lower abdomen around the waist. "See? That circular space there is where the T-cog is supposed to be."

"B-but, if I don't have a T-cog, then I can't transform! I can't be a Cybertronian that can't transform. It's what we're known for!" Bumblebee grabbed his head as he began to lose his cool. "Oh scrap, I can't fight if I can use my wheels! This is what bots get jumped in alleyways for!"

Calm down, Bee. I'm sure Ratchet or Wheeljack can make you another one with the right tools." Darren said, but his words only served to make the scout feel worse. "Crap, what did I say?"

"Darren, a T-cog is a biomechanism, not a scrapyard find!" Ratchet snapped. "It's no more replaceable than a vocal synthesizer or a brain module! They can be built, only repaired if damaged."

"You're born with one, you die with one." Prowl said forlornly.

"I'm useless now! What good is a scout that can't make a speedy getaway!" Bumblebee cried out. Jolt jumped onto the slab.

"Don't say that, Bee!" Jolt said. "You're not useless. You've still got your legs and your fists. You can still fight."

"Whatever the case may be," Optimus said to bring order back to the room. "We must find out the identity of the culprit if we are to retrieve Bumblebee's missing organ."

"Wouldn't it be the Cons?" Bulkhead suggested.

"I don't think the Cons would want a T-cog considering they can transform themselves, Bulkhead." Darren said. "Even Knockout isn't into bodyplay."

"So who the hell did it?" Annie growled.

"Was there anything you guys noticed that might give us a hint?" Arcee asked Bulkhead and Bumblebee. The scout looked lost, but Bulkhead remembered something.

"Helicopters!" He snapped his fingers. "I remember hearing helicopter rotors when I found Bee."

"Helicopter blades? Like…" Darren's face darkened. "I think I know who might've done this."

"The ones who cannibalized Lugnut." Annie said.

"And tried to gut me." Arcee hissed. Everyone came to the same conclusion at the same time.

"OZ."

XXXXXX

"Beginning installation."

Aries watched intently as the technicians carefully installed the T-cog into the life-sized robotic skeleton. It was almost as tall as Optimus Prime, sporting a skeletal frame based on the Autobot leader's schematics and only half covered with armor. Once the biomechanical organ was implanted into the robot's torso, the head technician entered the activation code. Aries smiled when he saw the robot's eyes glow as its systems powered up.

Project Mechnoid was already going smoothly. This machine was merely the first step in building a fully functional mechanoid based off preliminary scans obtained from previous encounters with the Autobots and information gleaned from the dissection of Lugnut and the Autobot Jazz's missing arm. It was far from completely, as this was simply the trial run to test the capabilities of the T-cog. But if all went well, OZ could have its very own army of intelligent drones control by the men and women of this proud order.

"Scannnig."

Two beams of light were shot out of the robot's eyes and ran over their test alt mode, the Tumbler, a highly mobile armored truck designed by OZ scientists based on stolen military blueprints. Once the beams washed over the bulky vehicle, a wireframe image of the truck appeared on the computer screen on the second level. With the scans downloaded, that only left one step.

"Initiating transformation."

With the pull of a lever, the transformation sequence was inputted, but instead of an array of moving parts reconfiguring into an entirely different mode, the robot did nothing. Aries scowled as the technician tried again, only to get the same results. After a failed third time, he began to lose his patience.

"What's the problem?" Aries asked.

"Nothing sir. Systems are all fully functional and in the green levels, but the component isn't responding to our commands."

"The find the problem and fix it!" Aries shouted. His anger spurred the men into action, not wanting to piss off the general who could vaporize them with a literal blink of his third eye.

"Well this is embarrassing." Aquarius said as she strolled up to her partner in crime. "All that work to get a T-cog and this is all we get. Honestly, I'm beginning to think this is a waste of time."

"It was your idea." Aries growled.

"I know, but I thought that Cybertronian tech would be compatible with terran technology." She sighed. "Looks like I was wrong."

All activity was halted as a chilling laugh filled the air. Everyone turned to the large doors of the warehouse they were operating in as they were opened slightly and a glowing eye peeked through the crack. Pushing the doors open, the bot entered the warehouse, not caring about the humans pointing their weapons at her.

Just from appearance alone, they could tell that she was a Cybertronian, but her current allegiance was unknown as she didn't have any symbol on her form. She was a deep crimson mixed with magenta, and had what appeared to be thorny vines sprouting from her lithe body. Her face was reminiscent of an Egyptian mask, smooth and mouthless with round, oval shaped eyes that glowed a deep lavender. As she walked towards the two generals, her body would give a little twitch, like she was having minute seizures every few seconds.

"So you are the humans who turned poor Lugnut into a science experiment," She laughed, her voice low and sensual, but was layered with a controlled madness. She lightly tapped a helicopter blade as she walked past it. "Didn't learn much from the experience, did you?"

Six red dots appeared on her chest as OZ's Zygart Talos pointed their weapons at her body, ready to fire at a moment's notice. Despite the obvious threats, she didn't look concerned at all.

"Enough to know where the soft spots are, Decepticon." Aquarius said, mentally summoning water from the air around her.

"I am not a part of that intergalactic pissing contest, human. I am a part of something grander." The femme looked at the robots and sighed. "Put your guns down. If I wanted you dead, you'd all be bloody smears on the floor."

Aries narrowed his eyes and motioned for his men to stand down. Aquarius looked at him shocked.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed.

"Letting her say her piece. This may be just the opportunity we've been waiting for." Aries said and looked up at the femme. "Speak."

The femme nodded and casually strolled towards the robot they were building as she explained what they were doing wrong.

"You see, a T-cog isn't just technology, its biology. All Cybertronians are born with one and die with one, but you can't just build it from scratch. Thus, the organ will only work inside a Cybertronian body designed to hold it. Implanting it in some random machine won't do the job." She said. Seeing Aries give her a nod, she continued, "If you want this T-cog to work, you need energon. It's the fuel, the ammunition, the very lifeblood of our species."

She stopped in front of the robot and raised her arm. Cutting into her arm with one of her thorns, she drew energon from her body, which she then deposited onto the inner circuitry of the robot. Aries and Aquarius noted how the robot's eyes seemed to glow brighter.

"So that's how they operate." Aquarius whispered.

"You see, I've run into a little problem on this planet," The femme said. "This planet is ripe with natural energon, but I lack sufficient means of locating it."

"Are you suggesting an alliance?" Aries asked.

"Yes. You see, once I supply you with energon, we can utilize your resources to locate new deposits. For us to share of course."

"If you can meet our rather significant demands." Aquarius replied.

"Oh? Planning to build an army, are we?" At Aries' silence, she chuckled. "I'm no stranger to ambition. Despite our obvious differences, our goals mesh. My comrades off world have learned of your crusade and wish to aid your organization in your endeavors. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to talk to your leader about this."

Aries and Aquarius traded discreet glances at her mention of their leader, the thirteenth Zodiac Ophiuchus. This bot knew more than she was letting on if she knew of her. It raised some warning flags, but this was something they couldn't pass up if they wanted to gain the upper hand against the Autobots and Decepticons.

"Very well, you have a deal." Aries said and held out his hand. "But we're going to need your name."

"I am Thornment," She said, placing her finger in the general's hand as a makeshift handshake. "Proud member of the Order."

XXXXXXX

A few days had passed and there was still no luck in finding any sign of OZ. Between energon scouting, watching out for Decepticons and trying not to get slagged by wayward Dolem scouts, their priorities were split to the fourth degree. And with each passing day, Bumblebee's mood got worse to the point that even the bright yellow luster of his armor looked duller. But for one medic, his constant inquiry was starting to get on his nerves.

"Hey, Ratchet, any-"

"No, Bumblebee. There hasn't been any news since you asked me an hour ago. And the hour before that, and before that as well." Ratchet grumbled. "I will let you know when the others find any clues."

The medic went back to cataloging their supplies, but he barely got anything done when the scout was tapping his shoulder.

"Did they find anything now?" He asked again. Ratchet spun around on him, ready to give him a piece of his mind.

"I swear to all that is holy-"

"Bee, you wanna play a game with us?" Sonar called out form the hallway.

"Sure!" Bumblebee followed the Minicon out of the storage room, leaving Ratchet to his blissful silence, and narrowly avoided getting knocked out by a wrench to the head.

He followed Sonar to the west wing where the kids were going against the Air Defense team in a two player video game. Desperately in need of a distraction, Bumblebee sat down next to the kids to see what game they were playing. To his utter dismay, he saw that they were playing a racing game.

"Oh man." Bumblebee groaned. Annie saw him sitting there and quickly shut the game off, interrupting Darren and Jetstorm's race.

"Oh come on!" Jetstorm complained.

"Shut it!" Annie hissed and pushed them off the couch. "Hey Bee, how about we watch some TV? That'll make you feel better, right?"

"Sure, go ahead." He said gloomily.

She changed the videopane to a TV channel, and to her horror, she just happened to switch it to a program showing a Nascar race going on. As if to add insult to injury, the race went to commercial and showed an advertisement of a shiny new sports car that drove down an empty road with the engine roaring loudly. Humans and Minicons winced at the sight.

"Bad call sis." Darren muttered. Gina looked up at Bumblebee and patted his large foot.

"Bee, look at me," She said, gaining his attention. "It's okay if you can't transform. Your alt mode doesn't define who you are. It's your skills as a scout and a warrior that matter to the team. You can kick as with or without your wheels."

"Yeah…yeah, I know. Thanks." Bumblebee smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm…going to go check up on the guys downstairs."

"Bee…" Gina sighed as her friend walked out of the room. She looked at the others, but they could offer no help.

Bumblebee walked into the shuttle bay, where the landing hatch was open and Prowl was waiting for some of the other Autobots to return from their perimeter patrol. The tactical officer spared him a slight nod before looking back out into the forest. It was typical Prowl behavior, but Bumblebee wasn't offended. The last thing he needed was for everyone to treat him like he lost his voice box or something.

Then he saw two vehicles drive out of the forest and swerve into the shuttle bay, laughing and joking. It was Arcee and Moonracer, having finished their lap around the volcano and were having the time of their lives.

"That was great big sis!" Moonracer giggled. "You broke 120 easy…" Then they noticed Bumblebee standing there and the sisters inwardly winced. "Oh dear."

"That's it! I can't take anymore!" Bumblebee yelled and marched down the landing hatch.

"Where are you going?" Prowl asked.

"Out for a walk, what else?" Bumblebee grumbled as he made his way outside, but Prowl got in his way.

"You can't just go for a walk! We are robots in disguise, and you don't have an alt mode. You'll be seen." Prowl told him and grabbed his arm. "You'll just have to remain in the Ark until-"

"Until what?!" Bumblebee threw Prowl's hand off and glared at him. "Until you can fix me?"

Bumblebee marched away back inside the ship, leaving Prowl and the two sisters alone. Prowl watched him go and sighed.

"Yes, Bee. Until we can fix you." He muttered.

XXXXXX

Gina was still hung up on Bumblebee's little breakdown earlier and she didn't know what else to do than join Ratchet in the med bay. Longarm was nowhere to seen, and Ratchet was simply sitting at his desk reading a medical book on human maladies. It didn't take Ratchet much to see that the girl was troubled.

"Gina, is something wrong?" He asked.

"Hmm? Oh, um, I'm just trying to process all this, that's all." Gina said. Ratchet lifted her onto his desk so they could talk better. "Ratchet, have you ever dealt with patients that have lost their T-cogs?"

Ratchet stopped reading and for a minute, she thought that he wasn't going to answer her. But then he spoke in a quiet tone, "Though rare, you'll find bots who have willingly sacrificed their T-cogs. On Cybertron, there was this activist group call the Militant Monoform Movement, or Triple M. they rejected the existence of Adaptus, one of our chief gods, by removing their T-cogs and only having one base form."

"That's extreme." Gina commented.

"Those were extreme times," He replied. "A T-cog is an important part of Cybertronian physiology. Sure there are the social consequences, such as isolation and discrimination. Shapism we call it."

The parallels all this had with human issues on Terra were all too real for Gina and she began to wonder if pre-war Cybertron was as peaceful as she originally thought. She wondered what it would be like for a Cybertronian who couldn't transform living in a society where transformation was a part of everyday life. The taunts, the jeers, the threats, the general stigma that spawns from such a deformity. But the psychological effects…

"Will Bumblebee be alright?" Gina asked.

"So long as OZ doesn't destroy his T-cog, physically he'll be alright. But mentally is a different question. I once had a patient, a Seeker I recall, who suffered from a rusting agent that spread to her T-cog. It crippled her transformation mechanism and she was stunted for life. When I told her the bad news, she had a nervous breakdown and started clawing and tearing at her wings and face, nearly ripping them off with her hands. She killed herself a day later."

"Good lord…" Gina whispered, putting a hand to her mouth.

"While I like to think that Bumblebee knows better than for him to go suicidal, his morale is dropping by the day. He just got back from a coma, and here he is taken off the field again." Ratchet said. "If this goes on any longer, then I fear that Bumblebee will do something drastic to get his T-cog back…and might die trying in the process."

XXXXX

Optimus walked out of the ground bridge and found Ratchet waiting for him and Ironhide. Waving Ironhide off, he and Ratchet walked down the hall past Bumblebee's quarters, where the scout had been holed up in his room for the past few hours. He didn't let anybody, even Jolt, inside to speak to him.

"Bumblebee's right to have little faith. We have no leads on finding OZ, and we still haven't gotten any word from Jetfire." Ratchet told him. "We can't act without a solid lead, and the chances of finding his T-cog are lowering the more we wait. But there is another solution."

"A transplant," Optimus said. "But that would require a donor. And we can't afford to have anymore Autobots off the field."

Ratchet contemplated his next words before he made his suggestion. "You need look no further than the one standing before you."

Optimus looked at Ratchet surprise. The medic was dead serious about his decision, and was determined to see it through.

"Ratchet, your offer is generous, but you would e only trading one Autobot's handicap for another." Optimus noted.

"optimus, I am a medic, not a warrior. I spend most of my days here, with my tools and my hands." He held up his hands, old and worn with age, but still capable of saving lives. "Hands trained to save lives, not take them. My alt mode is wasted here. So long as I have my tools, I am fine. But we can't afford to lose even one warrior on the field."

You make a compelling argument, my friend." The Prime stated and placed a hand on the medic's shoulder. "But we will find Bumblebee's T-cog."

"Optimus, OZ are savages! You've seen what they've done to Lugnut. What they tried to do to Arcee, Darren and Annie. Heaven knows how much damage they've done to Bumblebee's T-cog…or if I can repair it."

"Ratchet…" Optimus began, but paused. Ratchet took it personally when he was unable to help someone in his care (though he tried hard to be practical and aloof about it).

"As a medic, it is my job to go above and beyond for my patients…and my friends." Ratchet said strongly. "Please, let me do this."

Optimus was silent for a minute before he let out a resigned sigh and nodded his consent of Ratchet's plan. It was no substitute for Bumblebee's real T-cog, but at least it will give the scout a fighting chance until they could get his organ back. He just hoped that they weren't too late.

XXXXXX

A short while later, some of the Autobots were assembled in the med bay and were prepping for an operation. As Longarm set up the medical equipment, Ratchet looked at the few Autobots who weren't out scouting for recon; Arcee, Moonracer, and Bulkhead. The children were watching with their partners.

"As I will be one of the patients involved, one of you must act as my proxy to perform the surgery." Ratchet said, looking at all of them. "Now, I am well aware of your lack of medical knowledge, so Longarm will be guiding you through the operation."

He went down the line to inspect potential candidates, starting with Bulkhead. Ratchet didn't take long to see that the former Wrecker was not for the job. "Nope, better at breaking things."

Bulkhead let out a relieved sigh. He was the last person who wanted to get caught up handling someone's innards. Ratchet moved onto Moonracer, who was practically bouncing on her feet trying to get picked. "I'm not even going to entertain the idea."

Moonracer pouted as he stopped in front of Arcee, who was mentally praying that she wasn't going to be chosen. But when Ratchet didn't give her immediate criticism, she knew she was picked.

"Arcee-"

"Optimus has steadier hands." Arcee quickly said.

"Steady, and much too large to be rooting around under my hood." Ratchet said.

Arcee groaned as Ratchet went to get ready with the transplant. "Primus help me."

"Come on, Cee. You're as brave as they come." Darren said.

"On a battlefield," Arcee corrected. "Not an operating theatre."

"So long as you're using the knife, not under it." He replied. Arcee gave him a weak smile.

Bumblebee and Ratchet got onto the medical slabs as Arcee set everything up under Longarm's direction. She attached some cables to the backs of their heads to induce artificial stasis.

"Inducing stasis." Announced Longarm. Bumblebee turned to Ratchet.

"Ratchet, thanks a lot for doing this." He said. "I mean it."

"Don't thank…me until this is…" Ratchet's voice droned out as he fell into stasis.

Then just as Longarm was about to work on Bumblebee, the radio switched on and Sparkplug's face appeared on it. "Is anyone there?"

"We're here, Sparkplug. What's the problem?" Arcee asked.

Teletran-1 just picked up a Minicon panel and-"

"Say no more, we're on our way!" Arcee dropped her tools and jogged out of the med bay. "Moon, Bulk, you're with me. Don't touch anything kids!"

"Whoa, whoa, what about me?" Bumblebee sat up. "What should I do?"

"We'll continue your operation when you get back, but for now, wait for Ratchet to wake up and tell him why we're gone." She told him and was gone before he could protest.

Bumblebee sighed and looked at the children. Surely they were sympathetic enough to let him go out for some fresh air. "You guys wouldn't mind-"

"No." They shot him down without pause. They weren't going to help him in committing a prison break.

"Scrap."

XXXXXX

A six man mech team-three Zygarts and three Orions-traveled the vast interior of a deep canyon in the state of Kokomo. The squad leader piloting the black Zygart Talos lead his team through the area with a scanner attached to his mecha's arm. Seeing the indicator hit the red zone, he saw that their payload was too far from him and motioned for his men to follow him deeper into the canyon. At the rear, Aquarius and Thornment were walking at a leisurely pace as they talked.

"I admit, I was skeptical about accepting your proposal, but now it seems you weren't trying to lead us astray." Aquarius said. "I can only begin to imagine what the future may hold from working together with you."

"Yes," Thornment nodded, her vines trailing behind her. "Energon has a way of uniting even organics if used correctly. With it, you'll be able to create weapons strong enough to make even Megatron run to the hills."

"I'm sure Aries would be excited at that notion." She said and faced the tall femme. "But I'm curious, why are you helping us? The Autobots and Decepticons move heaven and earth to make sure that we don't pilfer their technology and science, yet here you are, giving us a bevy of secrets to learn from. Are you not concerned with what happens if our experiment fails? What if we lose that T-cog and decide that yours will be perfect compensation for wasting our time?"

Thornment brushed off the veiled threat with a callous wave of her thin hand. "Please, general. Do you think that I'd approach you for an alliance without having my own set of contingency plans? I'm powerful, but I didn't get to where I am by being reckless. I've heard of your little misadventure with Flamewar, and I'm no gung-ho fool like Megatron."

"Hmph, so long as we have an understanding." Aquarius sniffed. She couldn't help but see just how far she could take it with this mysterious being, how much it would take to make her snap. Apparently a lot it seemed, seeing as Thornment wasn't angry at all at being threatened to her face. Probably because she had the power to kill everyone here save for Aquarius herself. "Still, you said that you come on behalf of your comrades…what kind of comrades?"

"The type who seek salvation in the stars. Like you, we have been approached by the divine Host-a white goddess who has shown us visions of the future. Unless we act now, those pompous fools who play their war games will run our entire species to extinction." Thornment gazed down at the Zodiac with rose colored eyes. "My friend, Ember, has told me of you, the thirteen generals born from Her womb to usher in a new era for mankind. It is on her behalf that I come to you now to provide my assistance in achieving your goals."

As cryptic as that may seem, Aquarius believed Thornment's explanation. The White Queen, OZ's true leader, had confirmed it, stating that she had contacted beings from the stars who were like minded individuals, seeking a path of true evolution for their kind as well. That it was the Shapings' will that man and machine unite to save two worlds and combine to form an ephemeral being not seen since the Creation. Aquarius knew they were far from their endgame, but to learn that there were Cybertronians in league with their divine benefactors gave her the strength to continue with the Grand Plan. And when everything was said and done, all will truly be one.

The ladies followed the soldiers and saw them gathered in front of a sizeable collection of energon crystals growing from the ground. A snake-like smile spread across Aquarius' face.

"Energon," She whispered, gazing upon the substance like it was water. "Ready to be harvested."

"And processed," Thornment said, smiling. "To give us the edge."

XXXXXX

Bumblebee didn't even bother getting up from his recharge slab as he waited for Ratchet to wake up from his stasis. It was a perfect excuse he used with the kids, but they saw right through it. As for the humans, they were in the command center with Sparkplug monitoring Teletran-1.

"What great timing," Annie sighed. "You think Bee will actually get this transplant or is this going to be a running gag?"

"I hope not. Bee's morale is low enough as it is." Sureshock said. "Not being able to transform in this chaotic war is nearly a death sentence."

"Right after we just got him back from Death's door too, damn life sucks." Grindor said.

"That's why it's called life." Darren said.

"Guys, could you not be so depressing? We need to be strong for Bee, because he needs all the support he can get." Gina said, giving them all stern glares. "And he's not going to feel any better if we treat him like he's got only two days to live. Pity is the last thing he needs."

"Yeah, but at this point the only thing that'll get him out of that funk is finding those OZ bastards," Annie said, balancing her chair on the back of its legs. "And the chances of finding them is about a thousand to on-"

"YO!"

"Ah!" Annie screamed and her chair fell back, sending her to the floor. "What the fuck!"

"Is something wrong, Jetfire?" Sparkplug asked.

"I just caught wind of a moving energon signal and trailed it to this warehouse in Nebrask." Jetfire said on the comm. "And I saw a lot of Talos parked outside."

"Black Talos? As in Zygart units?" High Wire asked.

"The very same."

That got the kids' attention and they immediately knew this was what they were waiting for. "So you've actually found…"

"OZ, and a lot of them." Jetfire said.

"What?!"

The group turned to see Bumblebee marching towards them. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Hold your horses, Bee," Sparkplug said. "Optimus specifically ordered you to remain here for the time being. We should call the others back."

"Optimus is stopping a polar ice cap from melting," Darren said. "And Arcee's group is trying to retrieve a Minicon panel. Everyone's too busy to spare the time right now."

"Except us," Annie pointed out. Bumblebee's face brightened up.

"Does that mean…?"

"Against our better judgment, we'll go on ahead and help you get your T-cog back." Gina said, smiling up at him. "Our Talos are more than enough to fight the Zygarts, and we have Jetfire on our side."

"Kids this is the most reckless thing that you're planning!" Sparkplug said. "I can't let you all go alone into the lion's den like this."

"I'm sorry, Sparkplug, but we're going. This is our only chance of catching OZ off guard and getting Bee's T-cog back in one piece." Darren said. "We can't wait any longer."

Sparkplug rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Why did he even bother trying? "Fine, but be careful. If things get too dangerous-"

"You're pulling us back, got it." Annie said, already making her way to the armory. "Let's go people!"

As the kids went to get their mecha, Bumblebee took a deep breath and prepared himself. He was going to get those bastards back for attacking him, and he wasn't going to stop until he got his T-cog back.

XXXXXX

Aries and Aquarius stood in front of their remodeled robot with Thornment watching the technicians hooking up energon lines to the drone. It took some time to process the energon into a liquefied form, but once it was processed, all they had to do was channel the energon through fuel lines connected to the robot's power source. They had already scanned the vehicle mode, and came the hard part.

"Is everything all set?" Thornment asked.

"Yes, preparations are already underway." Aries said, noting the look of glee on the femme's face. "Are you ready?"

"Let's get this over with before something happens." Aquarius said impatiently. She had seen enough Bond movies to know that taking too much time will allow the heroes to arrive and screw things up.

"Very well," Aries smirked at Aquarius' mood and turned to his men. "Begin the activation sequence!"

The technicians got to work, powering up all the robot's systems as they switched on its power source-a hephaestium reactor-remotely. The robot's eyes glowed and one of its hands actually clenched. It was working!

"Finally, something's going our way for once." Aquarius smiled.

"This is only the first step. Scanning and transformation are both extremely complex processes, and the drone will need time to reconfigure. But for now, you've achieved at least part of your goal of giving life to this machine." Thornment said. "Anyone up for drinks?"

Their joy was brought crashing to the ground when they heard loud explosions going on outside. The generals were immediately on alert as they tried to learn what was going on.

"Status report!" Aquarius yelled into her comm. "What the hell is going on out there?"

"We're under attack, sir! Three Talos and two Autobots are storming the base." The team leader exclaimed. "They're mowing us down!"

"Don't let them reach us you fools! Kill them all!" She yelled at them.

The large doors were suddenly smashing in by a powerful punch and the humans barely made it out of the way to avoid getting crushed. It was Bumblebee, and he was glaring down at the humans with anger he never felt before.

"The scout." Aries smirked.

"Welcome to the party, young Autobot!" Thornment greeted, her eyes shining with glee. "But you'll have to show your invitation!"

Bumblebee didn't even register that there was another, unknown Cybertronian standing there in front of him as he pointed his blaster at the generals. "Here's my invitation!"

He pulled the trigger and the Zodiac jumped to the side to avoid the fatal blast he fired at them. The soldiers opened fire on Bumblebee, but they were forced to evade when the Autobot shot back at them with surprising ferocity. He punched the catwalk where the computer was and tore it off the upper scaffolding, slamming it to the ground and forcing the other soldiers to run away. Aquarius tried to summon her water from the surrounding air, but Bumblebee threw a grenade that exploded not too far from her. The blast wave sent her flying and it was only thanks to her ice shield that she avoided getting serious burns.

"Ah!" Aquarius grunted as she hit the hard metal floor of the warehouse and landed on her shoulder, dislocating it. "I thought you said the yellow one was the weakest!"

"I did." Aries replied.

He ran forward and fired a combustion beam from his eye, hitting the Autobot in the shoulder. To his surprise, Bumblebee forced himself to ignore the pain and transformed, driving straight at Aries. The Autobot did a vicious hit and run maneuver, ramming into Aries and sending the man tumbling over his hood until he fell to the ground behind him. Surprisingly, the general was still alive, but was sporting some broken bones from the immense force the Autobot had hit him with.

"Where is my T-cog!" bumblebee roared as he returned to robot mode and his answer came in the form of a magenta colored beam that he ducked under. The attack singed his back and blew a hole in the wall behind him, where some unfortunate scientists were hiding amidst the chaos.

The blast came from a giant metal flower, a rose with four elastic tendrils covered in thorns and four spiny legs that dug into the floor as it stomped towards the scout. The center of the large rose was smoking, showing where it fired its beam.

"How savage of you," Thornment laughed, her voice coming from some unseen part of the flower. "I thought Autobots enjoyed playing fair."

"Only when we're not pissed off!" Bumblebee growled. "Who are you?"

"Thornment, proud member of the Order and your executioner!"

Thornment pushed off the ground and lunged at Bumblebee, spinning around so her sharp pointed feet were aimed at the scout's chest. Bumblebee scrambled back and leaned backwards to avoid getting gored by the plantformer and extended his vibro-blade from his arm, slashing at her. Thornment transformed to her bipedal mode and kicked his blade arm to downwards before lashing out with her vine extensions, slashing him across the face. He stepped back, but he still fought back, firing another shot that caught her in the face.

As the two bots fought, Aries pulled himself to his feet and spat out a wad of blood before scowling at the Autobot. "All units, we're making a tactical retreat."

"What?!" Aquarius screamed, snapping her arm back into place with a pained curse.

"Our location and prototype have been compromised. We're not equipped to handle a surprise assault." He said. "We must take whatever data we can and fall back to another facility."

Aquarius gritted her teeth, but agreed with his reasoning nonetheless. She and Aries made their way to the secondary exit in the room, and just made it out the door before Thornment's body crashed into the spot they were just seconds before. Unfortunately, one man wasn't fast enough and was crushed by the femme, dying instantly.

Bumblebee ran over to the robot and tore its chest panels open. He saw his T-cog, that tiny spherical organ that granted the gift of transformation, and pulled it out of the robot's torso. He smiled as he finally held his missing piece in his hand.

"I got it!" He cheered.

At that moment, the kids ran into the warehouse, having chased the soldiers and Talos outside away, but before anyone could react, a trio of vines drilled into his chest, thorns tearing at his armor and knocking him to the ground, making him lose his T-cog. The little component flew in the air before it was caught by the clawed hand of the Order member, Thornment.

"I don't think this belongs to you anymore." Thornment remarked.

XXXXXX

Being in an induced stasis lock was certainly an experience for Ratchet. He was always on the opposite end of the operation, performing the life saving operations on his patients. Was this what it felt like? Drifting aimlessly in a dreamless sleep? It felt kind of nice actually.

'Ratchet…'

Who was calling his name?

'Ratchet…"

The medic found his dark surroundings slowly get illuminated by a bright light. Then his vision started to take shape as his optics rebooted. When his sight returned, he found that he was lying on a recharge slab in the med bay, where he was last positioned god knows how long ago.

"How are you feeling Ratchet?" Longarm asked.

"Fine. More than fine actually." Ratchet said as he said up and rotated his stiff joints. Stasis lock was not kind to old mechs. "I feel no different than I did before. Maybe I should have Arcee fill in for me some time." Then he noticed the absence of a certain scout. "Where's Bumblebee?"

"He's…out."

"Out? Bumblebee's recovering from surgery, he shouldn't even be moving!" Ratchet exclaimed. Longarm looked very uncomfortable now.

"Yeah, about that…"

XXXXXX

Bumblebee glared at Thornmnet as she held his T-cog hostage. The children had their Talos aim their weapons but did not fire, not knowing if the femme would use the component as a shield. It was an incredibly tense moment for everyone.

"Put the T-cog down now!" Darren demanded.

"Or you'll do what?" Thornment said. "You're not in any position to make demands of me."

Another explosion was heard from outside; Jetfire trying to chase down the fleeing generals no doubt.

"Why are you helping them? Do you know what those people are capable of?" Bumblebee asked.

"I'm well aware of OZ's credibility and it's the reason I work with them." Thornment said. "I am no Decepticon, if that's what you're thinking. My goals and those of my comrades in the stars are more than your petty squabbles. These generals are like kindred spirits to me, mortals touched by God herself."

"You're insane." Annie growled.

"Insanity and genius go hand in hand. If you want to excel in something, then you must lose something n return." She replied and squeezed the T-cog in her hand. "If you fools know what's good for you, you'd back off. Or you'll be walking for the rest of your natural life."

"Here's another option!"

Darren's telekinetically lifted a steel beam that was lying on the floor and slammed it into Thornment's chest, hitting her hard enough to knock her down and make her lose her grip on the T-cog. It was thrown into the air and Bumblebee jumped to catch it. Time seemed to slow down for Bumblebee. He was almost there, and his fingertips grazed the rigid surface of his T-cog. He almost had it…

BANG!

The children watched in horror as an energy bolt hit his T-cog and it crashed to the ground in a smoky, blackened heap. Thornment's palm was smoking from her recent attack and she grinned.

"First rule of warfare: never let the enemy have the spoils."

Thornment transformed into a modified version of her plant mode, her legs split into four points that extended into a sort of nose, and her rose top was situated at the back to act as a thruster, expelling large amounts of heat as she flew past the children in her aerial mode. She rammed into Jetfire on the way out, knocking him over as she flew into the forest, cackling like the witch she was.

No one pursued her, as they were all focused on the damaged T-cog. Bumblebee sat on his knees in shock, looking like his whole world had been completely destroyed.

"No…" He whispered.

"Damn." Gina cursed. She jumped when her comm switched on and Ratchet's angry voice rang in her ear.

" _Gina! Damn it, Gina answer me. What the hell are you and Bumblebee-"_

"Ratchet, we've got Bumblebee's T-cog but…we need some help here. Now." She said.

XXXXXX

A few tense hours later, Bumblebee was back on the recharge slab with Ratchet running some last minute medical scans on his body. When they returned, the kids were fully prepared to get a full dressing down from Ratchet, hell even Optimus, but that was at the back of everyone's minds for now. Bumblebee took top priority.

Ratchet spent a few hours repairing the damage done to the T-cog, and it took even longer installing it back into Bumblebee's body. It was a long process that had everyone on edge and stressed out, but once he was done, Ratchet had invited everyone into the med bay to see their friend again.

"I…did what I could." Ratchet said. Optimus patted him on the arm.

"Bumblebee could not have been in better hands." Optimus said.

When the stasis wore off, Bumblebee groaned and sat up on the slab. "Ugh, I thought I wouldn't have to go through this again." He said groggily, rubbing the spot where Ratchet inserted his T-cog.

"Easy, Bumblebee," Ratchet cautioned. "Recovery takes time, and you're still sore."

Bumblebee slowly stood up and stretched his limbs before immediately focusing on transforming. He willed his T-cog to spin, but all he heard was a clicking noise before nothing happened.

"The damage was…severe. I did the best I could but…" Ratchet trailed off, unable to even think about failing his friend when he was needed the most.

But Bumblebee didn't give up. He continued pushing and pushing, hoping to any god that was out there that he could transform again. As if to answer his prayers, Bumblebee felt his T-cog spin and then felt the familiar experience of his body folding and rearranging into is vehicle mode.

"It works!" He cried out.

The whole room erupted into cheers of joy and relief from everyone present. Bumblebee transformed back into his robot mode and ran over to Ratchet to hug him.

"Ratchet, I got my wheels back!"

"I can see that!" Ratchet laughed.

"Unbelievable," Prowl muttered. "I thought Bumblebee's T-cog was scrap. The damage done to it was extreme and the chances of it being repaired were almost in the single digits."

"Never underestimate Ratchet's expertise, Prowl. As much as skill factors into saving lives for a living, faith must also be present for miracles to be made." Optimus said. "And Ratchet has faith in himself, as much as his abilities."

No matter the reason, everyone was just glad to have their scout back, and that Bumblebee was whole again.

XXXXXXX

Thornment led Aries and Aquarius through a forest in an undisclosed location. The femme looked eerily calm despite the threats being made against her.

"If you want our alliance to continue, Thornment, then I suggest that you find a way to replace our missing T-cog," Aries demanded, still sporting the wounds he got from his first Autobot hit and run incident. He would still be in the hospital were it not for his superhuman healing. "Or we'll help oursele sto yours."

"Of course, because you've proven yourselves capable of fighting Cybertronians. That performance you gave with those humans and single scout was riveting." Thornment replied sarcastically. Dodging the combustion beam that was fired at his head, she continued, "Relax, Aries. I have another gift that can solve your problems."

"Oh really?" Aquarius sneered.

Thornment led them to the mouth of a cave, where the Zodiac generals were met with an unexpected sight. Two dozen Insecticons were flying about the hovering in and around the cave like the insects they were. One of the three alphas in charge of this hive noticed Thornment and his little companions.

"Thornment, what is this?" Venom growled.

A wicked gleam appeared in Thornment's eyes. "Insecticons, I am in need of your assistance. These humans require a valuable item that can fully cement our alliance."

"And what would that be?" Venom asked, his wings tensing up.

"Your bodies."


	8. Missing Hearts

Chapter 8-Missing Hearts

"Optimus, we have a situation!"

Ratchet's cry broke what started as a normal night. The kids were at home with their guardians, and with Decepticon sightings at an all time low, things were thankfully quiet for the robotic defenders. But alas, for an Autobot, nothing was peaceful for long.

Optimus entered the command center with Prowl, Jazz and Bulkhead. The medic was already working on Teletran-1, which was giving an alert.

"Ratchet, what's the problem?" Prowl asked.

"Teletran detected two unknown ships entering Terra's atmosphere," Ratchet explained. "Both spacecraft are of Cybertronian origin."

That drew their attention. They were stranded on Terra and until recently, no one knew they were even alive. Arcee and Jetfire told Elita-1 of Terra and its location, but as far as they knew, the Decepticons didn't even know where to look. Still, they couldn't make assumptions until they knew what exactly they were dealing with.

Ratchet brought up a video on the monitor that showed live recorded footage channeled from Sky Spy's camera view. On the screen, they saw two crashed ships in the middle of the Dakote countryside. One ship was of Decepticon design, as evidenced by the dark purple color scheme and an Autobot ship that looked vastly different from the shuttles that Arcee described. Both ships were damaged and out of commission, and their occupants were engaged in a fierce dogfight in the sky above them.

The two Decepticons looked almost identical, showing that they were twins from birth; one was green and the other was blue. They transformed into jets of Cybertronian design, leaving luminous trails behind them as they flew through the air and performed tricky aerial maneuvers as they swarmed the single Autobot they were fighting with. The Autobot in question was in his vehicle mode, a Cybertronian helicopter that was firing at the jets and was actually doing a good job in holding the Cons back. Just from the lime green and yellow color scheme alone the Autobots, Bulkhead especially knew who that Autobot was.

"Srpinger?" Bulkhead whispered in awe. "That's Springer!"

"What the hell is he doing out there?" Ratchet asked. "And how did he even get here in the first place?"

"We can figure that out later," Prowl said. "Right now we need to get out there and stop the fighting. They crashed just a few miles away from a town, and if we don't get there fast, humanity's first contact will be on the evening news."

XXXXXX

"Slag!" Springer cursed as two cruise missiles exploded near his tail rotor, nearly throwing him off balance. He fired multiple rounds from his nose gattling gun, and managed to score a few hits on the blue flyer that was trying to flank him-Dreadwing.

"Skyquake, hit him from underneath!" Dreadwing ordered as he powered up and flew straight up into the air and nose dived, flying down at Springer from above.

"Roger that!" Skyquake replied and dived to the ground, pulling up just a few inches from the ground and flying up at the underside of Springer's alt mode.

Both Cons were flying at Springer at high speeds, and when they fired two missiles each, Springer knew that this was going to be a rough night for him. He transformed to his robot mode and combined his helicopter blades into one long broadsword that he used to cut two missiles down and used his cannon to shoot down the other two. But he was knocked out of the sky by Skyquake, who slammed into him and dived towards the ground. Skyquake transformed into his robot mode and punched Springer into the ground to hasten his descent.

"Frag it all!" Springer quickly transformed to his helicopter mode and tried to use the updraft to slow his fall, which worked for the moment, but ultimately he crashed into the ground and skidded through the dirt before coming to a stop. Groaning, Springer reverted to his robot mode and held his aching side. "Stupid Cons. How do I always get stuck fighting twins?"

"Die!"

Springer saw the blue form of Dreadwing coming down on him with his own long sword drawn to cut him in half. The Autobot leapt back and avoided the Con's thin sword by a hair's breath as Dreadwing hit the ground. Springer drew his own blade and they clashed in the middle of the empty desert, with only an empty gas station as their witness.

"Fighting for your life in the middle of a desert on a backwater world, far from any reinforcements. A fitting end for an arrogant cur like you!" Dreadwing growled.

"You're right, the desert is a perfect place to bury you two." Springer smirked.

Dreadwing pushed Springer away and slashed at his head. He ducked under Dreadwing's sword, and stabbed forward, jamming a few inches of his sword's tip into Dreadwing's left side before jumping back and transforming into his secondary alt mode, an armored car. Seconds later, Skyquake swooped in low and littered the ground with a barrage of artillery laser fire. Springer kicked it in reverse and gained some distance between him and the brothers. Dreadwing and Skyquake both followed after him, using the gas station as cover as they fire their weapons, plasma cannons, at him.

"If you think I'm going to die to a bunch of scrubs like you, then you need those empty cans you call heads checked for Scraplets!" Springer yelled over the sound of blaster fire. But then he was hit from behind by a volley of plasma fire that hit him with devastating force and knocked him to the ground. "What the hell…?"

An olive green and maroon Cybertronian tank rolled out from behind the small hill it was hiding behind and transformed into a large mech with a bulky form and a patch of metal covering his left eye. Demolishor pointed his blaster hands at Springer and opened fire, forcing the Autobot to fight on two fronts now.

"For the love of all that's holy, where the hell is my help?" He shouted.

Fortunately for him, his prayers were answered as a ground bridge appeared and Optimus charged out of the portal with a small number of his Autobots, one of them being someone Springer knew very well.

"Springer!" Bulkhead called out, grinning at his old friend. Springer smiled at his former subordinate.

"Hey, Bulk. Fancy seeing you here."

Dreadwing and Skyquake tried shooting back at the Autobots, but with the odds turned against them so drastically, they the forced on the defensive. Demolishor ran over to them and proposed that they cut their losses before things got too dangerous for them.

"We need to retreat and contact the Nemesis." Demolishor said. "We're outnumbered and outgunned."

"But our ship! We can't let the Autobots have it!" Skyquake growled.

"If you want to fight past Optimus Prime, to get that clunker, be my guest." Demolishor replied. Dreadwing held his brother back and glared at Demolishor to keep quiet.

"Our first priority is making contact with lord Megatron. Everything else is moot." Dreadwing said and ordered his comrades to transform while he laid cover fire.

"No you don't!" Springer growled and fired his cannon at the fleeing Decepticons. Bulkhead noticed that his plasma bursts were hitting a little too close to the gas station.

"Springer, wait!" Bulkhead ran to stop him, but was too late as the blasts hit a gas pump and blew it up, causing a chain reaction that completely destroyed the entire gas station in a plume of flames.

Through the smoke, they saw Dreadwing and Skyquake flying away from the chaos, with Demolishor driving away in his tank mode after the brothers. Springer fired a few shots at them, but realized that it did no good.

"Those fragheads rigged the place to blow!" Springer grunted.

"Not exactly, Springer." Bulkhead said. "That was a gas station, this world's version of an energon depot. Doesn't mix well with blaster fire."

Springer scowled and shook his head. "Well we gotta get a move on or their trail will get cold."

He walked to his crashed ship, but stopped short when Optimus stepped in front of him. Springer halted in his tracks and looked up at Prime, because you don't just push past Optimus Prime.

"Springer, while I am glad that you are safe and sound, you would do well to remember that on this planet, you will follow my lead." Optimus said firmly.

The triple changer bristled a bit, but knew well enough to let it go. No need to antagonize the leader on his own turf. Looking over at Arcee, who had come along with them, he saw her glaring at him a bit before turning away with a huff. This was going to be a long night.

XXXXXX

Back at the Ark, things had mostly settled down and Springer was taken to Ratchet to get his wounds treated.

"Ow," Springer hissed and glared at Ratchet. "Easy doc, I need that arm."

"Hold still and you won't lose it." Ratchet retorted. Springer shook his head and turned to Optimus.

"Look, Prime, apologies for the fireworks and all, but I've tracked those three through nearly a two dozen star systems before tracking them to this rock." He said.

"What are you doing with that badge?" Arcee asked, nodding towards his modified Autobot symbol, the symbol of the Wreckers. "I thought you were demoted from commander after the…incident."

"Elita-1 reinstated me after Ultra Magnus decided to play guard dog for those bozos in the Galactic Council." He replied. "Those three fragheads that got away were Dreadwing, Skyquake and Demolishor. I'm sure you remember Demolishor, one of Meg's top generals. And Dreadwing and Skyquake are from Ember's little elite Seeker squadron."

"Ember?" Optimus repeated, narrowing his eyes at the name. "As in Ember of Sistex? The member of that secret cult?"

"The very same. I don't know how she did it, but Ember somehow managed to worm her way through the ranks to become one of the co-leaders of the Decepticons alongside Shockwave. You can tell that isn't going well with old Cyclops, but I doubt he's done anything about it…yet." Springer explained. "Somehow the Cons learned that Megs was alive and on this planet, and those three were the first ones to high tail it to this star system."

The Autobots were silent as they processed this information. They were so worried about their comrades off world, they never really thought about the state of the Decepticons in Megatron's absence. Of course Shockwave was taking command seeing as he was a part of Megatron's inner circle, but Ember…her name brought back a lot of bad memories for Optimus, and her involvement in the War made him nervous, as was the interference of one of her apparent companions, Thornment. But right now, he had to focus on one crisis at a time.

"But that doesn't explain why you're here." Bulkhead said. "You're not exactly one to go solo like this."

Springer's expression darkened. "You're right, Bulk. But these bastards were worth the danger. I'm after them for what they did to an Autobot installation a few months back. It was a small facility far from the front lines and we trained rookie Wreckers there, but then the Seekers came, led by Ember herself, and torched the entire base. Terminus was one of the first casualties."

"Terminus?" Bulkhead gaped at Springer. Terminus was a veteran Wrecker that helped Bulkhead get inducted into the group. The old war dog had taught Bulkhead the ropes, gave him the training necessary to survive working with the Wreckers. To hear that he died…it seemed impossible for a mech that Bulkhead saw as immortal.

"I know, I feel the same way, Bulk. Which is why I need to hunt those bastards down and pay them back in kind." Springer tried to get up, but Optimus held him down.

"Springer, you cannot go running out into danger without a proper disguise first. Secrecy is paramount if we are to continue our operations. If you leave this base, then you must acquire a terran vehicle mode." Optimus said.

"Or modes, in your case." Ratchet corrected.

"And that spaceship of yours? Not terran," Prowl frowned. "I had to jump through some big hoops to get that thing hauled out of plain sight."

"Don't worry, Prowl, I won't give you too much paperwork." Springer grinned. "Besides, I don't plan on staying here for that long."

"That's a shocker." Arcee muttered.

"I plan on snuffing out those twins, then I'll be on my merry way."

"Springer, if Dreadwing's group is here, then it can only mean that they plan on joining their one true master." Optimus said. Springer sighed and nodded.

"Megatron."

XXXXXX

The Seeker twins and Demolishor were all on one knee bowing to their leader… Nightshade. After gaining enough distance from the Autobots, the trio had contacted the Nemesis team via locator beacon and took a ground bridge to the ship itself.

"Dreadwing, Skyquake, Demolishor," Nightshade said calmly. "What a surprise to find you here."

"When we got word of your survival from Shockwave, we broke ranks to provide reinforcements to you on this planet," Dreadwing said. "It is an honor to serve you, lady Nightshade."

"Forgive my impudence ma'am but," Demolishor began. "We were expecting Megatron to be here as well. Did something happen?"

Nightshade scowled. "We had a…altercation with the Autobots that lead to Megatron being severely wounded. I'm taking command now until he can recover."

Demolishor wondered why Megatron wasn't healed by now, but then he saw the condition of the ship and realized that it might've hindered their ability to repair Megatron at the speed they wanted to. He nodded at her answer and looked away.

"Nightshade, if I may be so bold," Dreadwing spoke up again. "We shall go and avenge our fallen leader for you. Optimus Prime will fall by our combined might as payment for his insults against our lord."

Nightshade looked anything but convinced at his vow. "I have no doubt in your skills, Dreadwing, but Optimus Prime is not so easy to beat as a Wrecker."

"Yes, but-"

"Dareadwing!" She cut him off firmly, flaring out her wings a little bit to silence him. Seeing that she cowed him into submission, she continued, "I admire you dedication to the cause and your need to avenge Megatron, but on this planet, you will adhere to my command. And that means no unauthorized assaults, understood?"

"Yes ma'am." The three additions said in unison.

XXXXXX

"Springer!"

The Wrecker grunted as Moonracer slammed into him and hugged his tightly. He chuckled and patted her on the back. "Hey squirt, how's livin' off the base doing for ya?"

"It's great! I get to have my own room and I've seen so many new things that aren't exploding around me for once." Moonracer smiled. "It's great here, not counting the Decepticons, murderous humans and eldritch horrors running around."

"I'll…take your word for it." Springer said. He looked up and saw Arcee walking down the hallway. "Hey, Moon, I'll talk to you later, 'kay?"

"Sure, just don't skimp on talking to Bulkhead, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Moonracer gave him another thousand watt smile and walked away, leaving Springer alone with Arcee. Seeing that she wasn't going to stop for him willingly, Springer jogged up to her and got in her path.

"Arcee!" He tried to act natural, which was hard with her frosty glare freezing him on the spot. "I, uh, didn't catch you earlier."

"Gee, I wonder why?" She sneered. He winced at her venomous tone and rubbed the back of his head.

"I...missed you when you and you're, uh…pet…"

"Let's get one thing straight; Gina is not my pet, she's my friend." Arcee hissed. "And how nice of you to actually give a damn about me after I'm missing for four million fragging years!"

"Cee, if this is about what happened at Iacon, I'm sorry. Things were crazy back then, and I didn't have my priorities straight."

"Your priorities? What priorities? Trying to slag Ultra Magnus because he stole your job? When you should've been helping me after I watched my sister get killed?!" She shouted.

Springer winced at the unbridled hatred aimed at him and could not entirely blame her for her harsh words. They were lovers during the Decepticon Uprising, which would later evolve into the early stages of the War. when Praxus was sacked, Springer formed the Wreckers (they weren't really called that back then, but the bare essentials of what the group was supposed to be had been laid out right then and there) and he started going out on dangerous missions put a strain on their relationship. He spent more time risking his life on some suicide mission, getting that last thrill from staring death in the face that he was completely out of touch with her. He didn't even learn about Moonracer's death until a month after.

"If you're trying to make up for lost time, don't bother. You had your chance, and you blew it. So do us all a favor and go back to your precious Wreckers!"

Arcee pushed him aside and marched down the hall, leaving the Wrecker alone and feeling more hollow than he had ever been in his career.

XXXXXX

When Bulkhead finally found Springer, he found the Wrecker sitting on top of the small slope near the Ark. the usually talkative Autobot was looking far more subdued than he usually was and it concerned Bulkhead.

"Springer?" He called out.

"Hey, Bulk, good to see that you're in one piece." Springer said. "Got so caught up in the excitement earlier that I forgot to give you and Jackie a holler."

"Yeah," Bulkhead smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Just a few scrapes, nothing a dip in the CR chamber couldn't fix." He replied. "And I'll feel even better when I mount those damn Seekers' heads to my wall."

"Springer, I know you want payback for those Bots and Terminus, but Optimus said-"

"I know what Prime said, and I don't care." Springer scowled. "Bulkhead, what happened to you? Back on Cyberton you would've jumped at the chance to slag scrap anyone that messes with our boys."

"And I still would, but its Optimus's cal to make, not mine or yours." Bulkhead said.

"What, did fighting with Prime so long make you soft like him too?"

"Don't talk about Optimus like that!" He yelled. Friend or not, he wasn't about to let anyone disrespect Optimus like that. "Don't rat on him because you got ousted by Magnus."

Springer growled and glared at Bulkhead. "Don't you ever-"

Before things could heat up, the comm-patch on Springer's arm started beeping, signaling a transmission from the Jackhammer. When he accepted the message, he was surprised to hear Dreadwing's voice speak up.

" _Srpiner! I know you're here and I know you're still on this planet."_ Dreadwing said. " _If you want to finish our fight, then join me at these coordinates. I want to see if you're better than those so-called Wreckers I snuffed out with ease."_

"You're gonna regret saying that fraghead." Springer hissed and walked towards his ship. "You coming Bulk?"

"Me?"

"Dreadwing rarely goes anywhere without his brother, and two against one isn't a fair fight. Figured you'd want to even the odds," Springer smirked. "Like old times."

Bulkhead wanted to go along, to fight alongside Springer like they did back in their hay-day, but that was back when he little else to live for other than smashing stuff and bashing heads. "But, shouldn't we wait for back up?"

"You know our motto, Bulk," Springer said. "Wreckers don't call for back up…"

"They call for clean up!" Bulkhead finished with a smile. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. It really would be just like old times.

XXXXX

The coordinates Dreadwing sent them led the two Autobots to a small valley deep inside a forest, far from any energon mine or inhabited area. There was little driving room and the trees were tall enough to hinder any attack from the air and low flying maneuvers. The perfect spot to limit the capabilities of both sides to their bare essentials, hands and weapons. Dreadwing was funny like that.

Springer set the Jackhammer down beneath some trees and disembarked with Bulkhead. They walked to the mouth of the gorge and saw Skyquake standing there alone, his arms crossed and looking utterly uninterested.

"Skyquake!" Springer yelled, drawing his long blade and pointing it at the Seeker. "Where's your brother?"

"He'll be with us momentarily. Dreadwing has better things to do than come at the beck and call of inferior warriors." Skyquake droned in his bass-like voice. "But I doubt that either of you will live long enough till then!"

Skyquake pulled out a large cannon from his back and fired a volley of rounds from it. Springer and Bulkhead split up, with Bulkhead firing his blaster while Springer ran in close.

"Get slagged!" Springer jumped up and brought his sword down on Skyquake's head. The Seeker blocked the blade with his cannon and punched the Autobot in the face. Bulkhead came at him from behind, still shooting at him, but the blasts did little damage to Skyquake's dense armor. When Skyquake turned his cannon on Bulkhead, he fired another assault of powerful bullets that dug into the green Autobot's armor and forced him to forgo his offense in favor of blocking the rounds pelting him.

Springer spin-kicked Skyquake in the face, and the Con retaliated with a backhand that caught him in the chest. Springer only skidded back a few inches before digging his blade into Skyquake's side, earning a grunt of pain from the Seeker. The distraction provided an opening for Bulkhead to rush in and smash his wrecking ball into Skyquake's face. Getting attacked on two sides was enough for the Seeker to have enough of this one-sided fight and decided it was time to move onto the second phase of their plan.

He ducked under a slash from Springer and elbowed Bulkhead in the face before jumping up and transforming to his jet mode. Angling his thrusters so that they were aimed at Bulkhead, Skyquake turned his thrusters to full power and sprayed Bulkhead with a plume of white hot flames as he took to the air, blinding the Autobot.

"Gah!" Bulkhead cried out as he stumbled back, his face badly burnt.

"Bulkhead!" Springer ran over to his friend to check on him, but he was forced to pull Bulkhead back from the two cruise missiles that hit the ground near them. Skyquake swooping in low, but didn't fire another volley, seeing that his enemies were already in position.

"Dreadwing, they're right above you!"

"I see them."

Dreadwing, who was hiding underneath a rocky outcropping near the edge of the valley, didn't even wait for his brother to clear the area before he detonated the bombs that he planet on the cliff-side right under the Autobots' feet ahead of time. The ground under their feet exploded and Springer and Bulkhead found themselves falling along with the landside as part of the valley caved in. Springer had no time to transform to his aerial mode as he was buried under a pile of boulders.

XXXXXX

"Optimus, I found Bulkhead." Ratchet reported. He showed Prime the coordinates on the screen. "He's in a mountain range the next state over."

"And I'm willing to bet that Springer is with him." Arcee hissed. Without even asking for Optimus to take her along, she about faced and marched out of the room to head to the ground bridge. Ratchet shook his head.

"I do not envy Springer, right now." He muttered.

Optimus narrowed his eyes and followed Arcee out. Apparently Springer needed to be reminded who was in charge on this planet.

XXXXXX

"Slag," Springer grunted as he tried to push the huge rocks off him. His legs were pinned and he couldn't get enough leverage with his arms to push the boulders away.

But he was fortunate when the rocks piled on him were lifted away one by one and he coughed up some dust he inhaled during the fall. "What took you so long, Bulk? Don't tell me all that time you spent with Prime has made you…" He trailed off as he saw that it was Optimus that freed him, with Arcee standing behind her commander, and neither of them looked happy. "Soft."

Optimus took Springer's hand and pulled him out of the rubble, lifting him to his feet effortlessly. Once Springer was standing on his own, Optimus wasted no time in showing how displeased he was with the Wrecker.

"Going off on your own is one thing, Springer," Optimus said sternly, eyes narrowed down at him and tone hard as steel. "But when you put a member of my team in danger…"

"With all due respect, sir, Bulkhead knew the risks when he came along. All Wreckers know what they're getting into." Springer replied.

"Except he's not a Wrecker, he's one of us!" Arcee hissed, getting into his face. "Bulkhead is a member of our team, not one of your ready to order soldiers for your suicide squad! You had no right to pull that slag and now Bulkhead is in danger!"

"Bulkhead's fine, Arcee. He's probably buried somewhere inside the rubble." Springer said as he started looking around for the Autobot.

" _Optimus, Arcee,"_ Ratchet said over the comm. " _I got a fix on Bulkhead's location. He's 500 kliks from your current location."_

Springer heard Ratchet's message and was already transforming into his helicopter mode, flying back up the slope towards higher ground.

"We can take the Jackhammer and get there in record time. You coming with?" He asked.

Optimus and Arcee looked at each other before following the Wrecker back up the slope. Despite Springer's recklessness causing this situation, their main concern was getting Bulkhead back in one piece.

XXXXXX

The Jackhammer was a personal ship designed to hold a small group of passengers. It wasn't a small ship by any means, but for a mech as big as Optimus, it was a little cramped sitting next to Springer at the front. He would've given it to Arcee, but she had hung out in the back for the rest of the ride due to not wanting to be near Springer. Springer didn't say anything, he just wisely kept his mouth shut and flew them to their destination.

Optimus knew that there was something between the two, but he didn't bother asking earlier. He made an effort not to pry into the lives of his men unless the situation called for it. Unlike Prowl, he knew there were personal boundaries that needed to be respected above all else. But he needed to know if this little lovers spat between them was going to interfere with the mission.

"So," Optimus began. "You and Arcee must share quite a history."

"You have no idea." Springer said. His eyes dimmed and he sighed as he thought back to when things were so much simpler than the crap that was going on right now. "Arcee and I were a couple back when the war was just a revolution, as you can already tell. I had joined the Wreckers with Impactor and by then, they were a secret guerilla group fighting Decepticons either on their own turf or picking off stragglers near the borders. And because it was secret, I couldn't tell Arcee about my secret life as an action junkie risking everything to snuff out some closet Con living in a slum.

"Together with Impactor and Hyperion, we made the Wreckers into what it was now. We made it into a team that did what people were too scared or too weak to do. We were basically scavengers just taking the jobs no one wanted." Springer continued. "Bots like Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Sandstorm joined up and I grew close to these guys. They were like family. Arcee and I grew apart the deeper I got and we barely talked to each other. Then you decided to appoint Magnus as Wrecker commander after Hyperion kicked the can and I was more concerned with trying to keep that pencil pushing giant from treating us like Elite Guard-dogs. At that point, Arcee was ambushed by Ashling and Flamewar…"

Optimus nodded. He knew about that particular incident. Arcee was a mess after that and was bordering on suicidal before she ran into Jazz.

"I let my work get in the way of my feelings and I wasn't there when she needed me the most. I didn't even know Moonracer was dead until a month afterwards and by then I lost track of her. I don't think I've like such a failure than I did at that moment." Springer shook his head as he remembered how stupid and worthless he felt. "Prime, despite my actions tonight, I do care for Bulkhead. He's a good soldier and an even better friend…if anything happens to him feel free to issue any punishment you want. I deserve nothing less."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Springer. For now, let's focus on saving our friend." Optimus said.

Springer glanced at Optimus and nodded. Their mutual friend. He forgot how good it felt to be included in something bigger than the Wreckers.

XXXXXX

The Jackhammer flew all the way to the edge of a small port town by the sea. It was early morning so there weren't any humans here, but they needed to act fast before the first ships rolled into the harbor. As the Autobots exited the ship and walked into the maze of large shipping containers, they tried to search for their missing friend.

"Bulkhead! Come on ya big lug, where are you?" Springer called out. Arcee waved her scanner around and saw it blink to her left.

"I have a lock on his signal. Follow me!"

They ran down the narrow pathways provided by the large metal crates that obstructed their range of movement. Arcee led them to the heart of the storage area, where they found Bulkhead in a not so favorable position. He was cuffed to a crate with a star-shaped bomb stuck to his chest and already halfway through its countdown.

"Oh scrap." Springer groaned.

"Hey guys." Bulkhead gulped. He was still sporting the burns from Skyquake's earlier attack on his face and chest, but he was still able to see clearly. Though now he wished he didn't. "Guess this isn't a good day for all of us, huh?"

"What did they do to you?" Arcee asked as she ran over to her friend.

"They planted a bomb obviously," Springer said as he studied the device. "And a nasty one at that. It's a proximity bomb, designed to take out not only the target but also those around him. Dreadwing likes to throw these around, so be on your guard."

"Can you deactivate it?"

"If I do this slowly, maybe." He answered. "Hey Prime, do you ha-Prime? Where did he go?"

Arcee and Springer noticed that Optimus was nowhere to be seen. Even Bulkhead didn't even see him go, and seeing that the Prime had gone AWOL had angered Springer. He didn't have that big an opinion of Prime, but he didn't think that he was a coward that ran from something like this. He almost voiced his rage before Arcee gave him a look that made him shut up.

"Let worry about that later," She said. "We need to diffuse that bomb before we all go up in smoke with half the harbor."

"That's highly unlikely, Autobot." A green jet flew in from above and transformed into Skyquake's large form. The Con landed on the ground and pointed his cannon at the Autobots. "Dreadwing made his bombs to be next to impossible to diffuse without his knowledge. He's played this game long enough to give even explosives experts a run for their money."

"Well he never went up against people who know how to play the game!" Arcee charged at Skyquake and transformed to her alt mode, slamming into the Seeker and pushing back to give Springer some time. She just hoped that Optimus was somewhere formulating a plan because time was not on their side.

XXXXXX

Nightshade was livid. Soundwave just informed her that Dreadwing and Skyquake had directly disobeyed her orders and gone off to fight the Autobots alone-to fight Optimus Prime no less! She didn't waste a second in contacting them and voicing her outrage at this blatant disregard for authority from Decepticons who were supposedly as loyal as they came.

"Dreadwing, Skyquake answer me!" She roared. It wasn't long before Dreadwing answered his comm, knowing full well his pissed off she was.

" _My lady, I-"_

What the frag do you think you're doing? Who told you to go off and fight the Autobots without my permission?" She shouted.

" _N-Nightshade, we are simply doing this as retribution for Lord Megatron."_ Dreadwing explained, his normally calm demeanor shaken by her rare anger. " _Please, allow us to snuff out Prime's Spark for our master."_

Nightshade snorted. "Optimus isn't so easily defeated, as I keep trying to tell you fools that! But if you insist, I'll let you continue, provided you get results."

" _Thank you, my lady."_

Dreadwing signed off and Nightshade sighed. "I bet 20 shanix that neither of them make it back alive."

"30 shanix that they return with nothing." Soundwave said.

"23!" Rumble yelled.

"43 that Skyquake loses an arm!" Frenzy grinned.

XXXXXX

Dreadwing shut off his comm and took a deep breath. He barely got off scott free and now he was pressured to show some results in this reckless act of vengeance on his part. Now he really had to kill Prime or his head would be taken instead. The only problem was that he lost sight of Optimus from his vantage point atop one of the crates.

"Springer, just forget about me and get as far away as possible. You're no bomb expert!" Bulkhead yelled.

"I didn't leave you on Pova and I'm not going to leave you now!" Springer said strongly. Despite his outward confidence, on the inside, he was starting to panic. He had no idea what he was doing and didn't want to make a move out of fear of rushing the clock.

"Springer, please…"

"Not listening, Bulk." He replied.

"Dreadwing!" Optimus's voice bellowed in the shipyard. "I know that you and your brother are warriors who value honor above all else. I implore you to leave. Give up this senseless violence and-"

"Silence! How dare you try to urge me to betray our comrades, our cause!" Dreadwing yelled. "We will never betray our leader!"

He turned to his brother, who as still fighting the Autobot cyber-ninja. Arcee jumped around him, slashing her blades at Skyquake's armor, trying to hit something vital. Skyquake used his cannon to block most of her strikes, but he was more of a heavy bombardment type of mech, someone who relied on long range attacks to destroy his enemies from afar. Against a skilled swordswoman like Arcee, he was only good enough to go on the defensive. Which was why Dreadwing decided to jump in and end this farce.

Dreadwing flew down to the battle and took out his sword, slashing at Arcee to break off her engagement with Skyquake. "Go take care of the Wrecker. The bomb will go off any minute now."

"Yes brother." Skyquake holstered his cannon and ran back to the edge of the harbor. Dreadwing faced Arcee.

"This should be good." Arcee said, twirling her swords. "Are you as bad a fighter as your brother or are you actually decent with that twig you call a sword?"

"Talk is cheap Autobot." Dreadwing growled and got into a stance. "Shut up and fight me!"

Arcee grinned and leaped at Dreadwing, spinning her body in the air as she angled her swords at his head. Dreadwing blocked her strikes and expertly spun his sword around his body, moving rather gracefully despite his larger size. Arcee quickly found herself on the defensive as Dreadwing pressed his attack, hitting her with powerful strikes that actually made her swords vibrate from the force of his blows. She grunted when another strike sent her skidding back a few feet and cursed when she saw him throw a bomb at her.

"Slag!" Arcee jumped up and over one of the crates just as the bomb exploded, incinerating everything near it and blasting away everything else. She flew through the air and hit the side of a crane. She groaned and pushed herself up, but was forced to roll away when Dreadwing fired a missile from his cannon.

"I thought cyber-ninjas were supposed to be great warriors. If this is what they've devolved into then no wonder your numbers are shrinking." Dreadwing taunted.

"I reckon we're still kicking the ass of bots like you who think their tough slag." Arcee replied. "Wouldn't be too hard considering you Con like to talk instead of shoot."

Dreadwing growled and pulled a lever on his cannon, switching to laser ammunition as he started shooting a series of plasma bursts as Arcee. The Autobot ran to evade his blasts and he followed her, devastating the area as he littered the harbor with energy blasts.

"Skyquake, what's the status on Springer?" Dreadwing called his brother. He paused in his shooting when he got no reply back. "Skyquake, can you hear me?"

"Dreadwing!" Optimus yelled again. "I know that your actions are a result of what I did to Megatron. And as such, you're quarrel is with me, not my comrades. Disable the bomb and lay down your arms so we can end this."

"You must be a fool if you think I'll do such a thing for you!" Dreadwing snarled.

"Tehn if you won't do it for me or yourself, you'll do it for your brother."

Dreadwing's eyes grew wide and he left Arcee alone to run back to where he had stashed Bulkhead. Barreling through a shipping container, Dreadwing returned to the edge of the harbor to see not only Springer, but also Optimus Prime…along with his brother, who was in really bad shape. Skyquake was lying on the ground covered in energon burns with Prime's axe sticking out of his chest and an ion cannon pointed at his head.

"I am only going to tell you this one more time," Optimus said in a hard, steely tone. "Release Bulkhead and disable the bomb."

"I'm not afraid of you! I will gladly sacrifice myself for my master!"

"But are you willing to risk your life and that of your brother's?"

Dreadwing gritted his teeth, knowing that he was at a disadvantage here. He could tell from Prime's tone that he wasn't bluffing. They were all going to die together unless Dreadwing took the high road and saved his brother by aiding the enemy. He could fight them off, but against three Autobots, one of them being Prime himself, it would already be too late.

"Fine," Dreadwing spat out. "You win, Prime."

XXXXXX

"So in the end, you were humiliated by the very Autobot you tried to kill." Nightshade said, shaking her head. She was standing before Dreadwing and Skyquake, who were bowing to her after spending a few minutes in the CR Chamber. "Not only did you disobey me, but you almost lost your brother in the process Dreadwing. That's quite the failure."

"Please, Nightshade, do not speak of my failure to complete my mission." Dreadwing said, not looking her in the eyes. "We live to serve you and lord Megatron. We will gladly accept any punishment you wish to give us."

"So long as you remember how things go down around here." She waved them off. "Now go rest up. You have recon in an hour."

"Yes ma'am." The twins saluted and exited the bridge. They passed by Knockout, who gave them a curious look.

"You didn't give them a beating?" He asked.

"The day's events are punishment enough, and they'll know not to do this again." Nightshade replied. "Any updates?"

"Well, Megatron is still in stasis. His body's recovering fine, but the damage to his neuronet is severe and extensive. With our CR chambers at a critical low along with our power supply, recovery is going to take some time." Knockout explained. "But Starscream and Soundwave have already found enough materials to construct the bunker. If nothing happens, we should have it built and operational in a few days."

"Good. The sooner we find Megatron some help, the better." She said.

Finally, things were looking up for them.

XXXXXX

Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead saw Springer off at his ship after Wheeljack made some repairs on it.

"Well, I gotta go. I can't stay away from my team for too long or Guzzle will find a way to blow up our base…again." Springer sighed. He shook Optimus's hand. "Look, Prime, sorry about giving you a hard time earlier. I've been carrying a large chip on my shoulder that just won't fall off."

"No need to apologize, Springer." Optimus said. "You're always welcome on our team if you feel like staying."

"Thanks, but I've got my own battles to fight. This is your turf." He turned to Bulkhead and they gave each other a short hug. "Good to see you again, Bulk, and sorry about almost getting you blown up."

"Eh," Bulkhead shrugged. "It's not the strangest thing that's happened to me on this planet. Tell Kup and Leadfoot I said hi."

"Will do." Springer nodded, and finally turned to the final person he cared for on the team. Arcee didn't snap at him for once, but her passive gaze had taken the wind out of his sails and suddenly he felt nervous. "So…"

"So…" Arcee repeated.

Springer sighed and decided to say what he was supposed to say all those years ago. "Arcee, I don't expect you to forgive me eight away and I can honestly say that I deserve everything you throw at me. But considering I spent 4 million years thinking you were dead and not getting to say what I've always wanted to say, I just want us to make up. I've got a lot of regrets on my conscious and not fixing things with you was one of them. So, for both our sakes, I want to be friends again. To have something that doesn't involve a lot of passive aggressive slag."

Arcee stared at him without blinking for a few, long minutes that felt like an eternity for him. Then she spoke in a soft voice.

"You do realize that I'm still mad at you, right?"

"I do."

"And you realize that it'll take a long time for me to forgive you?"

"I know."

"And that a few kind words won't heal everything as well?"

"I'm well aware of that."

Arcee stared at him a little longer before a tiny smile spread across her lips. "Well, it's a good thing that I don't hold grudges forever."

Springer smiled and was about to speak, but she held a hand up to stop him. "I didn't say all is well, I meant I'll think about it. For now, you're still in the doghouse."

"That's enough for me." Springer said and held out his hand. "Until next time, Arcee."

"Hopefully not as long as it already was, Springer." Arcee replied as she shook his hand.

They held hands a bit longer than they'd liked, and were even slower in parting ways. Arcee, though she'd never verbally admit it, felt rather lonely without his constant chatter at her side. She was sad to see him go, but she knew that they were on the way to repairing their relationship.

As they watched the Jackhammer lift off and fly into the distance, Bulkhead turned to Arcee and saw her frowning.

"Don't tell me you're still mad at Springer."

"Bulkhead, I'm always mad at him."


	9. Grudge Match

Chapter 9-Grudge Match

"Nightshade, may I have a word with you?"

Nightshade looked up from her datapad at Flamewar as the huntress walked onto the bridge. "Yes, what is it?"

"Forgive me for interrupting your work, but I would like to talk to you about the mobilization of an underutilized asset." Flamewar said.

"And that is?"

"Me. It's just that I haven't been assigned to any missions lately and its getting a bit…stuffy on this ship. I would like to have a more active role, since we're so low on supplies and energy."

"I'll be sure to get you in on e the action more in the future, Flamewar." Nightshade told her. Flamewar smiled.

"You are a gracious leader." She said smoothly and walked to the door, greeting Soundwave as she passed him.

Once she was sure that Flamewar was out of earshot, Nightshade put her datapad down and turned to Soundwave. "Remind me of her trustworthiness?"

Soundwave played a recording he had acquired from Laserbeak. ' _What I'm trying to say is that we should join forces. With my cunning and your leadership capabilities, we can easily ditch Bots and Cons alike and rule this planet by ourselves. What do you say?'_

The recording ended and Nightshade narrowed her eyes. She walked over to the Communications Center and pressed a button that connected the bride to Dreadwing's quarters. The Seeker was working on his weapons when her face appeared on his monitor and he stood at attention the minute he noticed her presence.

"Is something wrong, lady Nightshade?" Dreadwing asked.

"Nothing of the sort. I just wanted to inform you of a little task I have in mind." Nightshade said. "One that involves the extermination of a certain huntress."

XXXXXX

Something was wrong, that much Flamewar was certain of. Nightshade had apparently taken her request to heart and assigned her on an energon scouting mission, but also sent Barricade and Dreadwing along with her. That alone made alarm bells ringing in Flamewar's head; why send two heavy hitters with her on a simple mission? She had no clue, but it certainly seemed suspicious.

And the location wasn't very comfy either, a dark forest with thin, gnarled trees and little room to properly move around in their alt modes. It was the middle of the night and the half-moon above only provided a moderate amount of light for them to see, not that they needed the helping hand seeing as they could just adjust the visual settings of their optics to night vision. Still, this environment reminded her of when she would hunt down rare species in the forests of alien worlds, using the cover of night to make her move, kill her prey quickly and quietly, and silence any witnesses…then hide the bodies in the forest to make sure that no one knew of her having their fun, be they bot or organic.

As they got deeper into forest, her nerves got more agitated, and she knew that something was about to happen. She was being targeted, probably by either Dreadwing or Barricade, or even both. She wouldn't put it past that bird bitch to try to slag her in seclusion, away from the eyes of her precious Cons. But before she made her move, she had to make sure that was the case, as to avoid a misunderstanding. It was a good thing she was adept at reading people's expressions. Searching for the fear in others' faces made for good social skills.

"Far be it from me to understand Nightshade's thought process," Flamewar said. "But doesn't this seem a little overkill on her part? I mean, sending two of her best operatives to investigate one simple energon spike."

"Nightshade knows that Barricade and Dreadwing will get the job done." Barricade grumbled.

"I was talking about Dreadwing and myself." Flamewar replied smirking. She chuckled inwardly when she saw the warrior bristle and stomp towards her, only to be held back by Dreadwing.

"Barricade, calm yourself." Dreadwing said calmly, glaring at Flamewar. "This must be a unified effort."

She could see the tenseness of his shoulders, his feet widening apart marginally-he was getting into a covert battle stance to prepare himself for something. When she saw Barricade glance his way, Flamewar realized that she was indeed being targeted for extermination. That was fine, she needed to kill something tonight.

"Yes Barricade. How about you be a good boy and go sniff out the energon for us? Maybe you'll actually be useful for something other than getting your ass beat by a certain Autobot scout." She taunted.

"That's it!"

Barricade pushed Dreadwing away and charged at Flamewar with his gyro-blades deployed. She smirked and ducked under the spinning blades, jumping back before shooting a green net into his face. Barricade grunted and fell to his knees, trying to get the adhesive net off his face with difficulty. With his partner down and his cover blown, Dreadwing took out his cannon and fired plasma blasts at her. Flamewar ran behind the trees to avoid getting shot and shifted her hand into a grenade launcher, firing two grenades. Dreadwing shot down the first one and dodged the second, but he wasn't expecting her to manually throw a third one. It was a concussion bomb and few could take one of those straight to the face at close range and still have a head to think with, let alone walk around. Dreadwing was not one of those bots.

She smiled as she saw Dreadwing go flying to the left into a tree head first, smashing through the trunk and hitting the ground. He wasn't dead, but he wouldn't be shrugging that off anytime soon. She raised her blaster arm to take a few shots at his unprotected head, but she was caught off guard by the thin blades digging into her shoulder and biceps.

"Ah!" She hissed and jumped away from the now freed Barricade, who was trying to gore her with his gyro-blades.

His assault was quick and gave her little room to do much of anything without suffering severe injury in return, so she transformed to vehicle mode and sped away from him, weaving through the trees. Barricade shifted the armor panels in his right forearm to reveal a mini rocket launcher, and fired a few rockets. She managed to dodge two of them, but the third locked onto her position and caught her in the back wheel, blasting her off solid ground and into a small alcove after hitting a tree on the way.

Barricade didn't even stop to help Dreadwing as he pursued Flamewar, following the trail of energon she bled out. He followed it into a small gorge, where he saw the huntress in her robot mode, lying on her side clutching her bleeding arm. Barricade grinned and spun his blades eagerly as he stomped towards her.

"This is going to be satisfying. You had this coming to you witch." He growled and raised his arm to cut her down and take her head for Nightshade.

Only to have his arm caught in something sticky. He looked up and saw his arm caught in a thin strand of webbing that withstood his strength despite him trying to pull his limb free. Then an explosive arrow flew in from the side and destroyed his arm at the elbow, sending him falling on his looked at the stump that was his right arm, then glanced at the smirking Flamewar, who's form began to shimmer and vanish completely. A _hologram._

A shadow leapt from the trees, blades extended and a mad grin present as Flamewar descended upon him like an Owl taking its prey.

The silence of the dark forest was broken by the echoing screams of Barricade.

XXXXXX

Major Klaus of the 2nd OZ battalion led the patrol unit through the forest with a team of three Talos and a twelve-man squadron. They were investigating a sudden energon spike in the area that manifested just a few minutes ago and were immediately deployed to the area to find its source. Klaus didn't like going out on midnight excursions in areas where he could be ambushed, but his superiors were adamant about acquiring this energon that the alien had spoke so fondly of. And as much as Klaus hated dealing with aliens that had killed so many loyal OZ soldiers, he was duty-bound to follow the orders of his commanders.

He wasn't really expecting to find anything, but when they happened upon the site of what looked like a destructive battle, he got serious and switched the settings on his automatic rifle.

"Mech team, form a perimeter around the area." He ordered. "Ground team, follow me."

With only the lights on their rifles to light their way, they followed the path of destruction, seeing destroyed trees and large footprints in the ground. But Klaus was following the trail of blue liquid that led his team to a gorge deep into the heart of the forest. When they reached the end of the trail, they found a rather disturbing sight.

It was a corpse, if one could call this misshapen cacophony of machine parts and severed circuits and conduits, as well as the glowing energon splattered all over the trees and rocks and dirt. Body parts were thrown in different directions, marginally still connected to the headless torso by a few thin wires and cables. The major ran his light along the corpse and almost jumped as he stumbled upon the head, which was sitting a fair distance away from the body. It was a familiar face from the briefings he got on the Decepticons.

Barricade's head.

XXXXXX

Flamewar once heard a phrase, a human phrase she caught when she traveled through one of their tons before the infamous "magnet" incident: "From rags to riches". Looking at her current predicament, she could see how it described her situation perfectly, though the opposite was true. From riches to rags, the story of a huntress with enemies on all sides.

'Honestly, I'm surprised it took them this long to make their move.' She thought. 'Nightshade should've done the job herself. Then maybe she wouldn't be a bot short on the team.'

It felt good to have finally snuffed out one of those brainless bozos after having to endure their slag for so long. They had it coming after forcing someone as dangerous as her to work for them. But now she was facing a dilemma.

"Why didn't I download a map of recorder energon mines before I left the ship?" Flamewar grumbled as she trudged through a cave, one of the few mines that she could access in her current condition. She looked at her arm and saw that she was still bleeding, which was not a good sign. "Would've saved me the trouble to trying not to starve."

She needed energon now. Her repair systems would take of the wound, but more energy on her side would help in speeding up the regeneration process, at least so that was she wasn't bleeding a trail everywhere she went. But the cave she was hiding out in had little to no energon left, only scraps that could barely hold her for the smaller part of an hour.

Flamewar pulled a tiny crystal from the all and held it up to her face, groaning as it crumbled to dust under her rough treatment of it. "Back to square one."

Then she heard a loud hiss echo throughout the tunnel and drew her laser crossbow as a large form stomped around the corner. She recognized it as it passed into the dim light, its bestial form reaching nearly 30 feet high with black and purple armor with a hunchback posture and a red v-shaped visor that glowed dangerously in the darkness.

'An insecticon?' Flamewar stared in shock at the creature. What was this thing doing here, on Terra?

The insecticon bruiser stopped to look at her, mandibles chittering away as it gauged whether she was a threat or not. Flamewar was smart enough not to attack it, so the insecticon turned away and walked back down the tunnel. That's when Flamewar caught sight of the cluster of energon crystals in its hand and jogged after it.

"Hey, where did you get that?" She called out. It ignored her and continued down the tunnel. "I'm talking to you, you stupid bug!"

Flamewar followed the insecticon through the tunnel into another cave system. Grumbling in frustration, she drew her crossbow and prepared to fire a laser bolt into its back.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Flamewar froze. "Who said that?"

The insecticon hissed and lowered its head in submission as Flamewar saw another bot, a femme, sitting on a pile of rocks like a throne in the middle of the cave. She was mostly dark purple and black in coloration, with a slender frame and a narrow head with two short curved horns atop her head with a pale face and sported bright segmented magenta eyes. On her back were six appendages, long and sharp and looked strangely like spider legs in their curled up position.

"Who the hell are you?" Flamewar asked.

The femme giggled, magenta eyes glowing with mirth as her purple lips pulled back to reveal sharp teeth. "I'm Airachnid, the queen of this castle. And you, my dear, are a Decepticon."

"Ex-Decepticon." Flaewar clarified.

"Whatever," Airachnid waved the comment off. "The point is that you are a Decepticon, and that makes you our enemy. Nothing personal, but you Cons have done me dirty in the past, and I've been itching to sick my pets on someone to vent out my frustrations."

Seeing Airachnid mentally commanding the insecticon surprised Flamewar, but she quickly focused on avoiding a fight with the beast.

"Hold up! I'm in the same position as you! The Cons just tried to knock me off just a few hours ago!" Flamewar said.

Airachnid narrowed her eyes and motioned for the insecticon to stand down. "Do tell."

"Megatron's leading a team on this planet against Optimus Prime and his Autobots, they've been on this planet the entire time, fighting their own little pocket war. Just recently, Prime managed to slag Megs and Nightshade took over." She explained. "That skank tried to have me kill with two mediocre soldiers and I slagged one of them."

"That explains all the noise." Airachnid muttered. She felt one of her traps getting tripped, but when she went to investigate, all she found was a pool of energon.

"Now, I gave you my explaination. So maybe you can clarify what insecticons are doing on this planet, which was supposed to be uncharted."

"Let's get one thing straight, sister. I'm no insecticon, I wasn't born like this." Airachnid said, frowning. "I was one of Shockwave's unwilling experiments to merge insecticon CAN with normal bots and I'm one of the best that came out of it. I don't know what happened next, but I found myself in a stasis pod on this planet, waking up almost three weeks ago."

Around the same time as their battle against the Cardinal. Flamewar knew this wasn't just a coincidence. Those freaks did something to the planet's biosphere that threw everything out of whack. Things that were sleeping dormant were awoken thanks to the Cardinals awakening at the same time.

"As for this big guy," She motioned to the bruiser standing next to her. "He was roaming the tunnels aimlessly like a lost Turbofox cub."

"So you were a deserter. Megs must've given you off to Shockwave as punishment. He likes to do that to people who don't cower in fear of his shadow." Flamewar noted and smiled. "We were both wronged by the Decepticons. Or more accurately, Megatron."

"It seems so."

"What would you say if I granted you an opportunity to get your revenge on the big man himself?"

Airachnid hummed and leaned forward. "I'd say you'd better not be lying to me. Can you assure me Megatron's demise?"

"Bucket head is otherwise engaged, but we can sick your little drone," Flamewar jerked her head at the insecticon. "On the one he cares about the most. Hit him where it hurts."

"And what's that?"

Flamewar's smile grew wicked. "That little glitch who hangs on his arm-Nightshade."

Airachnid stared at Flamewar for a moment before smiling coyly. "I think this is the birth of a very beautiful friendship."

XXXXXX

Dreadwing looked down at his feet as a very angry Nightshade paced around him. The mission she had given him to kill Flamewar was a complete failure and now they were down a Decepticon. Just when things were starting to look good for them.

"The reason we cannot detect Barricade's biosignal is all too clear," Nightshade growled. Then she sneered and got in his face. "But please explain to me why you were unable to find his remains?"

Dreadwing had no answer to that. All he heard of Barricade was his scream of agony, then when he came to his senses he couldn't find any trace of the mech save for a pool of energon where his corpse must have been. "My lady, I-"

"Nightshade," Soundwave called out. "Incoming transmission."

Nightshade let out an annoyed sighed and waved a hand for Soundwave to patch it through. He flipped a switch and allowed the message to come through.

"Hello, Nightshade," Flamewar's mocking voice sneered through the comm-center. "How's Barricade? Did you mop him up yet?"

"Trace the signal." Nightshade ordered. Soundwave got to work as Flamewar continued speaking.

"I'm going to make this short. You want to gut me for offing Barricade and I want to decapitate you for trying to kill me. So here's a compromise, I want you come to me," She said. "Since Soundwave is no doubt tracing this signal, come to my coordinates and you'll get your retribution. That is, if you're brave enough."

The message cut off and silence filled the room. Nightshade's feathers ruffled and she marched towards the door.

"Soundwave, bridge me to those coordinates. I'm going over there to teach that glitch a lesson." Nightshade said.

"My lady, allow me to join you." Dreadwing said, but she stopped him before he could take a step forward.

"Dreadwing, you have yet to prove your usefulness to me, so don't think you're off the hook." She told him. "I can take care of myself."

"But it could be a trap."

"Then I'll deal with it accordingly. Soundwave has command until my return."

Dreadwing watched her go with an unreadable expression, but his clenched fists made it obvious that he wasn't pleased with this turn of events.

XXXXXX

Nightshade flew over a forest in her beast mode, casting a long dark shadow over the land each time lightning flashed across the sky. Rain pelted her form as she reached her destination, a large pit in the ground near a mountain that was the result of a slight earthquake that tore the cave roof apart, exposing the cave to the outside world. She swooped into the pit and transformed, landing hard on the ground. Songbird followed dutifully after her.

"Flamewar!" She shouted. "Flamewar come out and face me!"

Her voice echoed in the cave, she was deep enough that even the lightning flashes couldn't be seen down there. She motioned for Songbird to scan the area for anything that might look like an ambush. She wouldn't put it past Flamewar to make another alliance with those humans from OZ.

"Nightshade!"

She looked up to see Flamewar sitting on a ledge, looking down on her like a Grecian emperor about to sentence a gladiator to death. The arrogant glitch probably thought this would be a good show.

"It's about time you came. Honestly, I was about to die of boredom here." Flamewar taunted.

"You'll die, all right. By my hands!" Nightshade held out her arm. "Songbird!"

Songbird flew over to Nightshade and reconfigured into her weapon mode, but before she could Powerlink with her mistress, a thick strand of webbing hit her dead center and snatched her up.

"Songbird!" Nightshade exclaimed. She turned to where the line came from and saw Airachnid picking her Minicon up, the femme clinging to the wall on her six appendages like a real spider. Songbird struggled in her grip as Airachnid cackled at Nightshade's shocked face. "What are you doing here?"

"Just enjoying the show." Airachnid grinned. She stuck Songbird to the other side of the pit, far from Nightshade's reach. "Now we can expect a partially fair fight."

"You little bi-"

"Now, now, Nightshade, don't expect me to play fair after all the treatment you gave me. The only way you'll get out of this is with your own strength and bare hands." Flamewar sneered. "No Megatron, no Soundwave, no Minicons. Just you…and out new pet."

Nightshade heard a familiar howl and saw a large Insecticon lumbering out of the shadows, teeth gnashing together as it growled at her. She narrowed her eyes at the beast as she withheld why it was even here in the first place and braced herself.

"I am Nightshade. Cease your actions and stand down!" She ordered.

Shockwave had programmed all his insecticons, even the alphas, to obey his commands and that of the Decepticon high command (excluding Starscream). It was a precautionary measure, seeing as the formerly feral animals were as much a danger to the Cons as they were to their enemies should they lose all reason and go berserk. So it was an unpleasant surprise to her when she saw the Insecticon not only howl at her, but also run at her in a quick charge.

"I said-"

Nightshade was hit by the bruiser's large body and sent crashing into the ground. She got to her feet, just in time for the insecticon to take on beast mode and fly at her, firing laser blasts from its curved horn on its titanium skull. A few bolts hit Nightshade dead on, and the beast rammed into her again, before grabbed her shoulders with its legs and slamming her into the wall again.

Flamewar grinned savagely as she saw the insecticon thrash her worst enemy (next to Arcee) around like the piece of trash she was. She saw it land a few hard blows to her body, each blow feeling like a full powered punch from Megatron as Nightshade had no time to fight back. Nightshade grabbed its horn, but a backflip slammed her body into the ground before it reared its head back and tossed her up into the air. The insecticon flew up and sped past her, landing a deep gash in her shoulder before flying into her and slamming her back to solid ground.

"Finish her!" Airachnid shouted.

The insecticon transformed to robot mode and charged at Nightshade, claws raised to strike down its prey. But to the surprise of everyone present, Nightshade leapt up and launched a strong kick to the side of its head that sent it smashing into a boulder, shattering it.

"Who the hell do you think I am!" Nightshade roared. "I am Nightshade, the black death of Styx! She who is second only to Megatron himself!"

Her body reshaped itself into its raven form, all traces of her robot mode vanishing into a smoothly sculpted avian form as she flew at the insecticon, screeching loudly. The two combatants clashed ferociously, as thunder and lightning pelted the stormy night sky. It was as if Terra herself was applauding the brutal carnage taking place within her earthen body.

XXXXXX

Dreadwing stood on the beat of Decepticon island. He was torn between his sense of duty and his personal feelings. He knew that his superior had ordered him to stay behind, but his Spark was telling him to forget her orders and go after her. He was well aware of the reputation Flamewar had garnered as a huntress, a dishonorable glitch who killed for sport, which he considered a sin in his eyes. That femme had spit in the Decepticons' face for far too long and it was about time she got what was coming to her. But she was not someone to underestimate, for she was as crafty as she was ruthless.

"Brother," Skyquake called out as he walked onto the beach. "What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking." Dreadwing answered. "I fear that Nightshade has gotten herself into something that she can't fight her way out of and I was considering going after her in case she needed back-up."

"You're thinking of disobeying her orders based on a hunch?" Skyquake gave his twin a look. "And they call me the reckless one. Dreadwing, you are already on thin ice after failing to kill the huntress, and losing one of our soldiers on your watch. She'll crucify you if you go out against her orders for something she probably already has in the bag."

"I'm well aware she is a capable warrior, Skyquake. But it would be foolish to think that Flamewar wouldn't have something planned. I refuse to stand by while our leader falls into a trap!"

Skyquake sniffed at his brother's sense of justice. He was a strange one, a Decepticon lacking the bloodthirst usually present in other Cons. He fought for a cause, but refused to kill just for the sake of killing, looking down on people who thought that way. He wondered if Dreadwing's urge to move out was because of some sense of justice of out of revenge for Barricade; he didn't know and didn't care, but he knew that his brother was going to do this alone if he had to.

"Whatever you choose to do, Dreadwing, I am with you no matter what." Skyquake said.

Dreadwing nodded and smiled. "Thank you brother."

XXXXXX

Flamewar was beyond enraged. She thought she had won. She thought that the sheer physical might of the insecticon would overpower Nightshade, but she apparently underestimated the sheer might of a beast former. She didn't take into account that Nightshade was just as animalistic as others of her kind when pushed into a corner. Even then, Flamewar had to admit that when let loose, Nightshade was like a force of nature.

Nightshade hadn't even transformed out of her beast mode yet as she pelted the insecticon with powerful strikes that left deep gouges into its armored carapace. Her sharp beak tore holes in its joints and neck cables, while her talons scratched and gored its vulnerable parts. Nightshade wasn't fighting like a warrior, she was fighting like a beast.

The insecticon thrashed around trying to dislodge her from its back, but she held on tight, digging her claws into its spine and tearing away more pieces of armor to get at the weak points underneath. It managed to grab onto her wing and throw her to the ground. She transformed and deployed her arm blades, stabbing them into its lower abdomen and slashing away at the exposed circuitry. It howled in pain and slashed at her, but she leapt away, landing a spin-kick that made it stumble to the side.

The insecticon fired a few energy bolts from its wrist cannon, and managed to hit her in the chest and shoulder, but she braved through the pain running at it and backhanding its jaw. It stumbled back and howled once again in agitation before charging at her. It lashed out with the two smaller mandibles under its arms, but Nightshade caught them and kicked it in the chest, brutally tearing the appendages off. The insecticon flailed about in pain, giving Nightshade the chance to get in close and deliver the final blow.

One swipe of her blade and its head went flying into the darkness.

Nightshade watched as the headless body of the insecticon fell to the ground, sparks shooting from the stump where its head used to be. She eyed its corpse before glaring up at an infuriated Flamewar. Airachnid was nowhere to be seen.

"Now do you see? Even when you have others fighting for you, you're still an embarrassment. Now why don't we get down to business, shall we?" Nightshade said and made to transform back to beast mode.

Only to have Airachnid jump down on her and stab her sharp legs into her wings. "You won't be getting away that easily!" Airachnid hissed.

"Mistress!" Songbird exclaimed.

Flamewar jumped down into the pit and walked towards the trapped Nightshade, who was webbed to the ground and bleeding energon profusely. Now that her overcharge was wearing off, she was keenly aware of the damage she sustained in her fight and the amount of wounds she sported. The pain was hard to ignore, and she had to remain online to avoid going into stasis.

"What's the matter? Where's all that bravado from earlier? Or was that your inner beast talking smack?" Flamewar snarled. When Nightshade stayed quiet, she lost her patience and aimed her crossbow at her face. "Answer me!"

"Look at you, trying to be big and strong." Nightshade coughed out a laugh. She grinned mockingly at Flamewar. "You try to act superior, but it's hard to be scared of a femme who killed her sister because of an inferiority complex. You'll never match up the legacy Arcee created."

"You glitch!" Flamewar roared.

Before she could pull the trigger, a rain of laser bolts rained down on them from above. Flamewar looked up to see Dreadwing and Skyquake flying down and transforming into their robot modes, pointing their weapons at her.

"Weapons down and hands up, traitor. This is your only warning." Dreadwing commanded.

Flamewar spat a rather nasty curse at him before a line of webbing shot into her back and pulled her back up to the second level. Dreadwing and Skyquake opened fire on her as Airachnid pulled her up and they both escaped into the tunnel she had carved out earlier.

"Of course they escape." Skyquake grumbled.

"That's not important now. Go free Songbird, I will tend to our leader." Dreadwing ordered.

Skyquake nodded and flew up to the wall where the Minicon was still trapped. Dreadwing knelt down and tore the webs off Nightshade's body, allowing her to revert back to robot mode. She tried to get up but her body was too weak to move on its own, so Dreadwing helped her to her feet, having her lean on him for support.

"You disobeyed orders," Nightshade grumbled. "I to you to remain at the Nemesis."

"With all due respect, my lady, had I not arrived, you would've been terminated. I was merely acting in your best interests." He replied coolly.

Nightshade didn't take her eyes off him even as Songbird flew onto her undamaged shoulder. Then her black painted lips upturned in a smile and she chuckled.

"You've earned yourself a fine position on our team, Dreadwing."

XXXXXX

"Damn it all to hell! I fragging had her!"

Airachnid watched with dull interest as Flamewar paced around her like a caged animal that's hit the end of its patience. They were hiding out in a tunnel far from where the battle took place, though they had to stop to rest. Flamewar decided to use this time to vent out her rage at being waylaid at the last minute.

"Calm down, sweetie. Clearly you underestimated Nightshade's mind. Megatron made her second in command for a reason, and you know how primal beast formers can get when they reach a breaking point." Airachnid said.

"You're one to talk! I thought you assured me that so-called warrior was up to the task of killing her!" Flamewar shouted. "He was completely useless!"

"Now just settle-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! I'm anything but calm right now!"

Airachnid frowned, but then she smirked and motioned for Flamewar to follow her. "Come, I have something to show you."

"What is it?"

"A little present that you improve your mood."

They walked deeper into the tunnel network until they entered a large cavern. Airachnid led Flamewar to a part of the network that she rarely visited and what she saw made her mood change in a heartbeat.

Stasis pods. The cavern was filled wall to wall with hundreds of stasis pods and inside the conical shaped pods were slumbering insecticons. Airachnid smirked at the look of awe on Flamewar's face.

"Our drone was merely a scout." She said.

Flamewar felt the urge to smile and let it spread across her face. Her war was only just beginning.


	10. A Feast of Crows

Chapter 10-A Feast of Crows

"Come on, move it!" Major Klaus yelled at his men."We need to get this stuff loaded before nightfall!"

Klaus Ironblood monitored his team as they loaded crates of energon crystals onto the airship. Orange labor Talos would pick up the large crates full of the alien mineral mined by the OZ foot soldiers patrolling the area. Zygart Talos stood at the perimeter keeping watch for any enemies, human or cybertronian. Klaus eyed the bright blue energon they were gathering from the cave in some nameless forest in the middle of Yellowstone. He sneered at it and at the situation he was often finding himself in these days.

This was just one of many OZ operations being carried out on a global scale. The secret organization was hunting down energon deposits in six of the seven major continents, even heading underwater operations for the fuel source. Such a mission would've been impossible had it not been for Thornment offering her assistance in locating the mineral using specialized detection equipment. Useful not just for finding energon but for also rooting out disguised cybertronians. But the main goal was to create a new generation of hybrid weaponry born of terran and cybertronian technology.

The higher ups in OZ were elated at how much progress they were making in such fields, but Klaus wasn't as happy. He hated the blind trust his superiors placed in this alien, the same member of the race that killed hundreds of his comrades (the Decepticons were rather adamant about finding and dismantling OZ installations). For all they knew, she was planning on killing them once they had the energon they needed. He was well aware that the Zodiac were impulsive to varying degrees, but for the steadfast and militaristic Aries (a man that Klaus respected greatly) to get roped into this ill-fated scheme was still infuriating to him.

'As if we didn't have enough problems with those esper freaks starting World War 3. Now we must deal with warring aliens trying to rape Mother Earth. What is this world coming to?' Klaus thought.

"Trouble Major Klaus?"

"No Dr. Singh, just thinking." Klaus answered through clenched teeth.

Dr. Arman Singh was a high ranking scientist and theorist in quantum theory in OZ's R and D division, not to mention he was also one of the minds behind the energon weapons development program. He was a tall middle aged bald man with a thin mustache that hinted at his Dacian heritage, with a thickly accented voice.

"Thinking of what, if you don't mind me asking?" Singh asked.

"This," Klaus waved a hand at the operation around them. "When I signed up for Zodiac's noble cause, I didn't expect to fight aliens or make deals with them. We waste our time searching for this resource they desperately need, while they continue warring on our planet. Now we have one of them lording over us like some god!"

Singh raised an eyebrow. "I never pegged you for a xenophobe, major."

Klaus glared at him. "I'm only stressing the need to address the threat sitting right under our nose. That robot has us do her dirty work, wipe out her enemies before turning on us. I will never jeopardize the wisdom of the Zodiac, but their judgment seems to be limited in this particular situation."

"That's treasonous talk, Klaus." Singh hummed.

"Which is why I'm telling you, good doctor." He replied.

Singh laughed and walked past the major, picking up a small piece of energon. "Don't get me wrong, Klaus, your concerns are valid. General Aries' last alliance with one of these beings didn't go so well either. We are, of course, careful to avoid a repeat of that scenario."

Then his expression turned dark and he crushed the crystal in his hand. "But the Zodiac didn't pay you to think, they pay you to follow orders. Do not think that they don't have a contingency plan for this. With this energon, the cybertronians will not be able to stop out conquest of this world!"

The HSS tank behind him exploded, knocking Singh off his feet. Klaus saw a red and black metal bird fly over their heads, firing ruby lasers from its wings and immediately got into action, ordering his forces to attack as another tank exploded.

"What the hell is going on!" He yelled at a soldier.

"Enemy contact!" The man replied, pointing at the blue Decepticon tearing apart their Talos forces. "We have three NBEs attacking from out twelve!"

Klaus had his mechanized forces, both tanks and Talos, open fire on the three Cons with devastating weaponry ranging from kinetic shells to HEAT rounds designed to destroy tanks. The Decepticon that was Soundwave unleashed hell on the retreating humans under him with his mini-rockets while Ravage ran around ripping and tearing at the solders and tanks. A black shadow flew over them and he looked up to see another Con flying low to the ground, circling around the airship. He recognized her profile as Nightshade, the Decepticon first lieutenant.

He scowled and jumped on a still functioning HS tank, targeting her and firing the tank's pulse cannons, a new weapon brought about by OZ's new energon weaponry. He tried to shoot her down, but she was fast for her size, and she barely paid him any mind as she fired down on the airship with her mini-rockets. Klaus watched in dismay as his only means of escape went up in an explosion.

"NO!" Klaus roared and continued firing his pulse cannons haphazardly. Finally, Nightshade caught sight of him and switched forms, throwing one of her swords in his direction. He was forced to jump off the tank before it was nearly cut in half by the giant sword was went up in flames, knocking him off his feet.

He pulled himself up and took out his assault rifle. "Die you filthy-"

His words were cut off in a pained cry as Ravage pounced on him from behind, claws tearing into his back. Slicing through his body armor and tearing up his spine. Klaus howled in agony as the feline Minicon pressed him into the ground, gushing blood from his severe wounds. Nightshade landed on the ground and calmly walked past them. Klaus, still in pain but coherent, drew his pistol and fired a few rounds at her. She felt the bullets bouncing off her armor, but paid it no mind, not even looking in his direction as she gave the order.

Snapping her fingers, she said, "Ravage, send him away please."

In a heartbeat, Ravage was torn asunder by Ravage, his arms tore from his torso, face and chest ripped to shreds in a shower of blood and skin peeling off in bloody ribbons. Ravage wasn't merciful as he tore out the still conscious major's chest and stomach, sending organs and entrails falling out, crunching bones beneath his feet. Within seconds, all that was left of Major Klaus was a few strips of meaty tissue, and a large puddle of blood on the ground.

Soundwave appeared beside Nightshade, who was stomping on one of the disable Talos that was struggling to move. In his hand was the terrified Dr. Singh, who was begging for his life.

"P-please, don't hurt me! I was just following orders, like any good soldier!" He whimpered. "I'll tell you whatever you want, just please don't kill me!"

"You'll tell us regardless," Nightshade said harshly, making him cower in fear. "And we don't exactly need you to speak either."

XXXXXX

Starscream watched from the door as Soundwave interrogated their human prisoner. The spymaster was currently using his powers to probe the mind of the OZ scientist for any decent information he might have. As for , he was strapped to a chair and struggling in vain to escape as his mind was slowly unraveled by Soundwave, who was having more trouble than he thought entering the man's head. A dull hum droned in the air as Soundwave's red visor glowed in response to his powers.

"Enjoying the show, Starscream?" Nightshade asked as she walked up to him. He scowled at her.

"This is a waste of time."

"Oh? How so?"

"We're spending our resources playing with humans when we should be making our fortifications stronger. The Autobots know we're weak after Megatron's defeat, so what do you think they'll do if they find out about Barricade's death and Flamewar's defection? They'll come down on us like a pack of scraplets."

"Only if you keep your mouth shut." She replied. "This mission is important. OZ has been a thorn in our side since they abducted Lugnut. They obviously want a cybertronian to harvest and don't care what faction they have to piss off to get one. But the question is, why? Why go through all the trouble?"

"To make weapons of course, have you seen those animals work?" Starscream sneered. "Give them an energon cube and rest assured they'll find a way to make a gun out of it."

"That's what I thought too, until I learned that they're started mining energon. How they knew about that, I doubt we'll truly know, but they're a threat to our operation on this planet. It's bad enough that we have to contend with the Autobots for energon, but I'm not going to deal with a bunch of humans trying to interfere with our war."

"Yes, but-"

"Listen to me, if they manage to get a hold of our science and technology, then we'll be fighting a war on both fronts, and that's the last thing we need in our current condition. I appreciate your concern, but this is my decision as acting commander, got it?"

Starscream sniffed, not angry but just a little miffed at the dressing down. He knew it was important to eliminate any third party that interferes with their war and threatens their operation, but he couldn't help but feel this was personal in some way. And he made sure she knew that. "Are you sure you're not doing this as retribution for what they did to Lugnut?"

"Starscream, Lugnut died at the hands of the Autobots' pet human," She answered. "And since killing that bastard has gotten significantly more difficult, I'd rather slaughter humans less heavily defended."

'Yup, it's personal.' Starscream thought.

The door slid open and Soundwave stepped out silently. Nightshade inquired as to how the interrogation went.

"His mind is heavily shielded from my telepathy. It would seem that he has undergone mental recondition to resist telepathic manipulation." Soundwave reported.

"Even against your powers, Soundwave?" Starscream asked, slightly surprised. These OZ goons knew their stuff.

"His defenses held me at bay for some time, but even that could not keep me out. What he knows is limited, but according to his past experiences, OZ has possession of Barricade's remains."

"That explains his missing body." Nightshade muttered. "Do you know where they are?"

"I could not ascertain their current location, but I do know that they'll be transported to a secret base in Dacia, Europa."

"Good work, Soundwave. Keep probing his mind until he breaks, then dispose of him." She ordered and walked down the hall.

"And where are you going?" Starscream hummed.

"To war, my friend," She smirked back at him. "To war."

XXXXXX

"You know, if I knew that were you going to be riding in my driver's seat, I would've sprayed some air freshener earlier." Knockout quipped.

"Just shut up and be a good car." Nightshade sighed. "As in, a quiet car that doesn't talk or flirt."

"Admit it, you love it."

"I could easily smash your windshield in, you know."

"Shutting up."

It took a while for Soundwave to obtain the information they needed, but they were able to ascertain the location of Barricade's remains. According to Dr. Singh's memories, they were being transported to a villa owned by one of the Zodiac generals, a man named Pieces. Infiltration was the key here, and lucky for the Cons, they had a way in that did not force them to launch an air strike on the grounds. A summit was being held there, where the wealthy financial backers of OZ were assembling to celebrate the success of the organization. It took a few days to set everything up, but pretty soon Nightshade was able to formulate a plan.

The operation was two-fold; Nightshade and Knockout were going to go in through the front door via their holomatter avatars. They were going to check out their enemies under the guise of a wealthy couple with clandestine ties to OZ. Soundwave and his Minicons will infiltrate the villa's security systems and find out where they were keeping their deceased comrade. If everything went a planned, they would deal a critical blow to whatever OZ had planned, and potentially kill one of those supposed Zodiac.

"Gathering information is crucial, but our main objective is locating Barricade's remains. Once we've found them, we'll either destroy or retrieve them." Nightshade told the Cons in the command room. "We can't let these humans insult us anymore than they've already have. We go in, do what we need to do, and get out as quietly as we came in."

"Do we know exact;y where his body is?" Dreadwing asked.

"No, which is why I'm having Soundwave ink into their computer systems to get a layout of the area. Knockout and I will find one of their generals and take him out if possible." She replied.

"Good luck with that." Starscream muttered. He thought back to when he fought against one of the Zodiac on the way Jetfire's body was discovered. His brief fight against Aquarius had lost him an arm and nearly froze his body from the inside out.

As for Knockout, he wasn't so worried. He had a chance to show the humans what true perfection looked like, and got to go out with Nightshade. As far as he was concerned, his mission was already accomplished.

It was late evening when they reached the villa. There were already a collection of limos and other expensive vehicles parked out front, and Knockout (in his car mode) parked himself near the entrance, his deep red coloration standing out amongst the white, black and blue cars that seemed to dominate the parking lot. Once he was parked, Knockout mentally grinned at the night he was about to experience.

"Show time."

"Cut the chatter and stay alert." Nightshade scolded him.

The two holo-avatars exited the not-so humble sports car. Nightshade's avatar was that of a beautiful fair skinned woman with short violet hair with her bangs cut just above her eyebrows. She had a heart-shaped face with narrow dark purple eyes and full lips coated in purple lipstick. She sore a simple indigo dress that stopped at her knees with a slit running up the side, and purple boots with matching elbow gloves. A black fur shawl was attached to her shoulders that hugged her deep cleavage nicely. Though she didn't know it at the time, Nightshade's avatar had unconsciously modeled her appearance after that of Cleopatra of Egyptia, with a few notable cosmetic differences.

Knockout's avatar was best described as the personification of his narcissism. He appeared as an inhumanly beautiful man with tan skin, short russet brown hair that was slicked back smoothly and finely sculpted features. He had a dazzling smile that showed his perfect teeth that shined. He wore a crisp red suit with black shoes that hugged his athletic, Apollo-like physique. All in all, he was bloody extravagant.

"My oh my, don't we look fine today?" Knockout smirked. He ran his eyes over Nightshade's form and whistled. "Not even the skin of a human can dampen your beauty."

"For god's sake Knockout don't start." She groaned. "Try, just try to take this seriously."

"Please my lady, I know how to mix business with pleasure."

They approached the front doors, where two burly security guards in black suits and dark sunglasses stood guard reading the guests' invitations. Nightshade presented hers, an imitation stolen from its intended recipient who would later be found dead with his wife the next morning. It only took a second for the guard to skim over the letter and let them pass.

"Have a nice evening ma'am." The guard said politely. Nightshade smiled.

"Don't worry, I will."

Neither of the guards noticed her drop a tiny blue micro-cassette player on the floor, which sprouted tiny metal legs and scampered off into another part of the mansion. Soundwave was in.

XXXXXX

Infiltrating the mansion was difficult, as Soundwave had no prior knowledge of the estate or any countermeasures it might have. Being the property of an OZ member, especially a Zodiac general, he had to be careful to avoid any defenses that were designed to repel cybertronians. Sneaking in was the only way to gain information without initiating a direct confrontation. One could never be too careful when the generals were concerned.

While Nightshade and Knockout were with the other guests in the ballroom, Soundwave made his way towards the security room. Using what little information he gleaned from Dr. Singh's brain, he located the room on the second floor and waited for one of the guards to leave before skittering in on thin spider-like legs. Once inside, he saw only two men watching the security monitors. Good, that will make things easier.

"This is torture," One guard yawned. "We're stuck in this cage while the rich folks get to party and have booze."

"Can it, James, this is our job. What were you expecting when you signed up?" Asked the chief.

"Not sitting on my ass all day long, that's what." James grumbled. He whistled when he saw a purples haired beauty walk past one of the cameras. "But it has its perks."

"Put your tongue away Romeo, she's out of your league." The chief scolded. "Just focus on your job or Ms. Scheele will have your heads."

"Yeah, yeah."

They sat in silence for a few minutes until a series of loud metal clangs made them jump in surprise. The chief got up and turned around. "What the-gah!"

He was cut off painfully as Frenzy gored his drill hand through his chest and out his back in a burst of blood, splattering the red liquid all over the monitors. James tried to draw his firearm, but Rumble transformed to full size and caught him in his claws. It only took a little pressure to snap his neck and kill him instant. The twins tossed the bodies to the side.

"The fleshies are down." Rumble grinned.

"Now it's time to go to town." Frenzy laughed.

He picked up the still transformed Soundwave and placed him on the desk. A cord extended from Soundwave's underside and plugged itself into the computer's access port, connecting him to the system and granting him access to the mansion's secrets.

XXXXXX

The party was already in full swing when Nightshade and Knockout arrived, but things didn't get really started until sunset. Nightshade was trying to keep herself and Knockout from mingling with the humans too much. She didn't want to interact with these humans anymore than she had to; which was difficult seeing as Knockout couldn't keep himself from flaunting his looks to the ladies. The fact that some rich brat would be drawn to her like a moth to a flame didn't help things either. The holomatters were designed to reflect how a bot see's themselves, but she didn't expect that her avatar would make her look like a femme fatale. Having all these men hitting on her like they were suave bachelors nearly made her physically sick.

She got a ping on her internal comm and heard Soundwave's voice. " _Nightshade, I have hacked into the security systems."_

"Good," She smiled. "What did you find?"

" _There is a tunnel under the mansion that leads to a storage facility hidden under a large hill a few miles from our position. That is probably where they store items of interest for transport to other parts of the country."_

"Take your Minicons and go to the garage. Find that base and retrieve Barricade's remains. If you are unable to do so, then destroy them and kill anyone who gets in your way."

" _Yes Nightshade."_

She signed off and turned to Knockout. "We have our target."

"Good, I'm starting to get antsy here." Knockout frowned, pulling at his suit collar. "Like something bad is hovering nearby."

"That itchy feeling you get when you're near Megatron, me, Starscream and pretty much everyone you work with?"

"Yup."

"Shut up." She sighed. Working with him was such a hassle. How the hell did Starscream manage it?

The chatter in the ballroom quieted down as a young woman wearing an olive green dress that hugged her form with short blonde hair and sharp brown eyes walked down the stairs.

"Good evening honored guests, I am Anita Scheele, assistant to Mr. Harvey." She introduced herself. "I would like to formally introduce Laguna Harvey of Epsilon Holdings."

Another man walked down the stairs and this time he set off all of Nightshade's danger senses. He was a handsome man with chiseled features. He looked the part of a mild-mannered aristocrat; with short black hair, sea green eyes covered by narrow glasses and a charming smile, but Nightshade could see through his façade. The same air about him that Aries and Aquarius had.

"That's him, the Zodiac." Nightshade whispered to Knockout.

"Him?" Knockout blinked. "But he looks harmless!"

"All humans look harmless, but this man is definitely one of them. He's killed before." She narrowed her eyes. Nightshade could tell by the way he walked, how his eyes were always alert and focused, the slight tenseness of his legs and shoulders. He was a warrior, or at least a fighter.

"What should we do?"

"Keep an eye on him. He could have important information we could use. If not, then we kill him and OZ has one less general to bother us with." She said, crossing her arms. "We just need to give Soundwave enough time to do his part."

Nightshade and Knockout tensed up when they saw Laguna glance their way. He gave the pair a smile before addressing the guests.

"Welcome to my estate, comrades. I'll keep this short since we want you all to have the rest of the night to yourselves," Laguna said. "I want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions to Epsilon Holdings and supporting our work. Not only do I want to show my gratitude to my financial backers, but also the men and women who work hard to design new technologies to further our cause towards helping mankind. We all have worked to make the world a better place, and I am honored to work alongside such dedicated people."

The guests applauded their distinguished host, but Nightshade and Knockout were unimpressed. The former especially since something about the man rubbed her the wrong way.

"Someone's full of themselves." Knockout remarked.

"You're one to talk." She snorted. Ah! Now she knew what Laguna reminded her of…Starscream.

XXXXXX

"Slag, how far is this damn tunnel?" Frenzy grumbled.

"No idea bro," Rumble replied. "You think we might find the end of Knockout's ego down here?"

"Nah, that's probably at the center of the planet."

"Would you two shut up and focus! We're in enemy territory!" Ravage snarled. He really hated dealing with these two morons. How could two mechs make a simple job more complicated than it needed to be?"

It was a few minutes since the transformed Soundwave and his cassettes entered the tunnel under the mansion and they were making their way towards the secret bunker where Barricade's body was being held. It was fortunate that no vehicles were driving in the tunnel, because there were no places to hide, and they couldn't start the fireworks until they reached their objective.

Ravage sniffed the ground a bit before his lips pulled back in a growl. "I smell metal, dead metal. Along with lots of humans, and maybe a few Talos as well."

"We are close." Soundwave said. "Keep moving forward."

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached the bunker. It was larger than they had anticipated, big enough to fit nearly two dozen Talos and tall enough that a full grown cybertronian could walk around without bending over. The bunker was full of armored vehicles and forklifts that were moving large metal crates around onto docking bays. Abnormally proportioned construction Talos were moving the lighter cargo to the sides of the bunker, while the familiar ebony forms of the Zygart combat mecha stood guard with different looking rifles. There were also a number of humans standing guard at key points in the bunker.

The Minicons quickly snuck into the chamber and hid behind a few untouched crates. Ravage lifted his head and sniffed around. Being dead, Barricade's body would have a distinct scent from living cybertronians, the smell of living metal in contrast to metal that lacks the infusion of a Spark's energies. Laserbeak was sitting atop the scaffolding on the second level, recording everything from above.

"I've got it," Ravage muttered. He nodded his head towards the far corner of the room. "They're keeping him in those crates over there, three in total. Apparently Flamewar was very thorough in her murder of him."

"I see 'em," Laserbeak confirmed. "They're large, too large for us to drag outside."

"Then we must terminate the remains." Soundwave said. "Frenzy."

"On it boss." Frenzy ran out from cover and threw the small cassette. "Time to bring the pain!"

The guards and Talos pilots didn't notice Soundwave flying through the air, so it was all the more shocking when Soundwave suddenly appeared in the middle of the bunker, transforming from a tiny micro-cassette player into a 35ft tall Decepticon who immediately began shooting down the Zygarts with his mini-rockets and concussion blaster. The soldiers fell back as Soundwave rushed forward and blew out the chest of a Zygart before it could fire on him.

"We've got intruders!"

"Sound the alarm!"

The solider ran towards the emergency alarm, but was knocked into the air by a bone crushing punch from Rumble that was sure to have ruptured some organs. Frenzy and Ravage started massacring the other soldiers and workers without remorse, making sure to keep anyone from sending word for reinforcements. Within seconds it was chaos as the humans fired on the Minicons with their assault rifles, only to get slaughtered by the powerful Cons.

Soundwave crushed the head of a Zygart and tossed its body aside before turning towards the crates with his former comrade's remains. But as he moved towards it, he got hit in the shoulder by an energy blast that made him stagger a bit. Looking up, he was honestly surprised to see that two Zygarts were firing plasma blasts at him. Energy weapons? He knew the humans weren't advanced enough to develop competent energy weapons; but that was an issue for another time.

He ran forward, ducking under their plasma bolts to get under their guard. He grabbed their rifles and crushed them before blasting their cockpits into molten slag with his concussion rifle. Taking down the last of the enemy mecha, Soundwave looked at the two crates holding their objective. Nightshade had ordered the remains to either be retrieved or destroyed if need be, and time was short, so the latter was the most logical decision. He stepped back and pointed his rifle at the first crate, charging it up to lethal levels before pulling the trigger.

Suddenly a vine burst from the ground and wrapped around his arm, pulling it to the side just as the concussion blast left his rifle and hit a downed Zygart. Soundwave jumped back as a giant metal rose exploded from the ground and unfolded in a swirl of robotic pars to reveal the golden face of Thornment.

"Hello Soundwave," She cackled. "Fancy seeing you here."

XXXXXX

Nightshade stood on the balcony on the second floor tapping her finger on the banister impatiently. She knew that Soundwave must have infiltrated the bunker by now, but for some reason he wasn't answering her calls, and he wasn't reporting in either. None of them were. This was troubling; they were in uncharted territory here and they couldn't risk making mistakes that could end up with them on a lab table. She groaned and shook her head. This was why she didn't like taking command. That nagging feeling at the back of your mind that every mistake, every death that happens on a mission will fall on you. It was stressful and made her feel older than she really was.

"Are you alright ma'am?" Laguna Harvey, the devil himself, walked out onto the balcony, his glasses glinting in the moonlight. "You look a little pale."

Nightshade inwardly cursed, but she replied smoothly. "I don't do well with parties. They're not my thing."

"I know how you feel. It gets slow after a while." Laguna said and leaned on the banister, looking out into the dark forest before them. Night had finally fallen, and all was eerily quiet. No sign of any nighttime critters and it felt a little foreboding. "I never got your name, Ms…?"

"Florence," Nightshade said, violet eyes glancing at Laguna sharply. "Florence Nightingale, Mr. Harvey."

"Please, just call me Laguna." He smiled. "So how are you liking the party, Florence?"

"It's nice and all, but you'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit weary of gatherings like these." She frowned. "I'm a woman of action who likes to get her hands dirty. All this standing around and laughing with fake smiles doesn't appeal to me. No point in making friends with people you're only going to stab in the back in the future. Sorry for my bluntness."

"No, I get where you're coming from. Unfortunately, much of the aristocracy, no, mankind itself is like that. A world full of fake smiles and hidden intentions. It makes one hard to trust in this day and age." Laguna hummed. "Tell me, Florence, if you had the power of a god, what would you do with it?"

That question caught Nightshade off guard. "What?"

"If you had the power of a god, what would you do with it? Use it for yourself, or use it to preserve your race?"

"T-that's a loaded question! Of course, I'd use it to preserve my race, especially if they were on the verge of extinction." She answered, thinking back to Cybertron and the state of their race right now. She'd give anything to save her people and fulfill Megatron's dream of a grand future for all of them. "But what good if being a god if you're practically handed everything? Where's the fun in that?"

Laguna looked down at her and smiled. "Yes, you'd save your people. That's what most would say. The thought of being alone in this cold universe is not an inviting thought for anybody, even a Decepticon such as yourself."

Nightshade froze and slowly turned to the smiling noble. "What did you say?"

"Don't play games, my dear. You're not a very good player." Laguna tapped the lens on his glasses, which glowed like a miniature computer screen. "These glasses were designed to see through most technological illusions, even your holomatters are not impervious to my sight."

Nightshade's hand shot up to grab his neck, planning to snap his neck to kill him in one quick movement. But Laguna easily caught her hand in a tight grip that was definitely inhuman. She tried to break free but couldn't pull away and he was still smiling all the while.

"No need for hostilities, Nightshade. That's your name right? We don't want you making a scene now, hmm?"

Nightshade tried to disengage her avatar and call Knockout, but both her comm and her avatar weren't responding. She got no signal on her comm-link and her avatar wasn't phasing out like it should. She was stuck in this form!

"So long as you're in my territory, on my hallowed grounds, your holo-avatars are here to stay. Your conscious minds are stuck in the faux bodies of the humans you so despised and your internal comm channel won't work within OZ airspace." Laguna sucked his teeth in mock pity. "We wouldn't want you calling for an air strike, wouldn't we?"

"You good for nothing hairless ape!" Nightshade growled.

"That's a new one. Much more unique than scrap or fleshy." He grinned. Three guards approached them, one of them holding a struggling Knockout. Laguna took off his glasses to reveal his glowing amber gold eyes. "Now let's introduce ourselves for real, shall we? I am Pisces of the Zodiac, and I welcome you two to my humble abode."

XXXXXX

Soundwave jumped back from the crates as Thornment lashed out at him. Thorny vines extended from her arms and left deep gashes in the floor as she twirled them around in an effort to entrap him. One vine snagged his right arm, but he dug his feet into the ground and pulled her forward. Thornment was dragged towards him, but quickly leaned her head back to avoid the punch he threw at her when she was close enough. She planted her feet in his face and kicked him away from her into a pile of cargo. Ravage pounced at her, but Thornment spin kicked him into a wall.

"Let's take this outside, shall we?" She whispered. "Don't want to damage the merchandise."

She reconfigured into her aerial form and flew into the tunnel, dragging the ensnared Soundwave behind her. His proxies couldn't do anything as their leader was taken right from under their nose.

"Boss!" Rumble yelled.

Ravage and Laserbeak were already on the move, zooming past the twins as the former gave his orders. "Take care of the crates! We'll find Soundwave!"

Rumble and Frenzy watched them vanish into the tunnel and turned to face the remaining Talos. It would've been easy for them to dispatch one or two alone, but then they saw a couple of more Talos equipped with their dangerous plasma rifles marching into the room. Reinforcements called by Thornment.

"I hate my job." Frenzy groaned.

Outside the bunker, Thornment dragged Soundwave deeper into the forest, dragging her as far from the mansion as possible before he broke free. He rolled across the ground and got to is feet, ducking under a large vine that smashed the tree trunk behind him to splinters. Thornment ran at him and threw a punch at his face, but he dodged it and kicked her in the side. He tried to grab her, but she wrapped her legs around his arm and used her body weight to bring him to the ground.

"You Decepticons think you're so clever. That no one, let alone a race of walking monkeys could outsmart you, well how does it feel?" Thornment whipped a vine against his chest, her thorns leaving a deep cut in his chest plate. "Did you think we didn't anticipate you coming to retrieve the body? These humans I work with are a hell of a lot smarter than those morons that run the planet!"

Soundwave deployed a blade from his arm and started slashing and stabbing at her, but her spindly body deftly avoided all of his strikes with ease, weaving just inches away from the blade. She knocked his arm away and kicked him in the chest before cracking a vine at his face. it caught him on the side of his head and he stumbled back, glowing energon leaking from the cut under his visor.

"Such arrogance must be punished," She spat, cracking her vines like a whip. "And I can't wait to see the humans light your friends up like a firecracker!"

Soundwave leapt up and thrust his blade forward. She jumped to the side, but the rocket launcher on his shoulder fired three rockets that blasted her to the ground. Soundwave pounced on her, but she punched his face hard enough to crack his visor. She spun her body around and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his bad. He felt his joints and servos groan from the strain she was putting on them and he tried shaking her off by slamming her into a tree. She did not let go, instead wrapping her legs around his shoulder and pulling even harder than before. He continued to slam her into the trees, but it did nothing to the steadfast femme.

"Do you feel that, Soundwave?" She hissed. "The feel of my slowly ripping your arm from its socket? That's pain. It reminds us of our mortality. That we are not gods, just fools who take our natural longevity for granted. Death holds sway over all, and you are no exception!"

Soundwave tried to pry her off with his free arm, but some vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped around is other limb, pulling it to the ground. Thornment cackled madly.

"Now fall, Soundwave. FALL!"

XXXXXX

Nightshade and Knockout were taken to Pisces' personal study, a small but cluttered mini-library of books that she figured were just there for show and were never read even once. It was probably there just to show off his so-called "knowledge". The arrogant bastard was almost as pretentious as Knockout. Once they were situated, Pisces took a seat at his desk and signaled the bodyguards to give them some privacy.

Knockout looked around the room with a sneer. "So, is this where you brag and tell us your evil plan?"

"Knockout!" Nightshade hissed. She punched him in the arm to shut him up. This was not the time to start fights they were at a disadvantage in.

Pisces smiled. "Well this is a surprise. I was expecting something more direct from the Decepticons, like an air strike or frontal assault to kill everyone here."

"Contrary to what you heard, we operate through deception." Nightshade spat. "It's in the name."

"Unlike you humans, who like to blow things up on a daily basis." Knockout huffed.

"How true you are, Knockout. We humans are savages, aren't we?" Pisces smirked. "Our races are alike in that regard, yes? Granted, unlike you cybertronians, we still have a planet to call home."

"Go frag yourself!" Knockout growled.

"Get to the point. Why are we talking like old college buddies instead of trying to kill each other?" Nightshade asked. "You have us at your mercy, and yet you're only seeking to talk to us."

"Because unlike my less intelligent comrades, I prefer to use words to get my point across. And as it is, we have enough violence in one night, yes?"

He pressed a button on his desk that made the painting above the fireplace slide to the side to reveal a tv monitor, and it was showing Soundwave's battle against Thornment. Nightshade and Knockout couldn't hide their surprise.

"A femme? Here?" The medic gaped. "What the hell is going on here?"

"She's our newest partner, Thornment. A woman who has similar goals to ours." Pisces said. "At the moment she is currently giving your friend a solid beat down in response to his attempted theft of our property."

He switched the tv off and leaned back in his chair. The glare Nightshade was giving him would've been enough to put the fear of god into the hearts of lesser men, but the general was unfazed.

"I know you currently hate me right now because my friend is killing your friend, but believe me when I say that I only want to talk."

"Then talk." She said stiffly. "What the hell do you want?"

"A possible alliance between OZ and the Decepticons." Pisces grinned at the shocked looks on the Cons' faces. "As you know, OZ's main goal is to dominate this world and bring mankind into its next state of evolution. Similiar to you Decepticons seeking to conquer the galaxy to revive the glory of your species."

"Get to the point."

"Despite the physiological differences between our races, we are both plagued y one fatal element; death. Death is the enemy of all physical creatures. It crumbles mountains, tears down kingdoms, and steals our loved ones from us. You cybertronians may be near immortal, but you are still vulnerable to natural elements, and I know that your species is edging ever so closer to the endangered species list. More of you die than you are born, and humans are just as in danger of a similar fate if we continue to live at the behest of Mother Nature. So why not join us in our quest to fulfill the Grand Plan?"

"The Grand Plan?" Knockout repeated.

"We preach the goal of transforming humanity into a new form of life, one that is united as a single entity, the greatest in the universe, but the reality is that OZ does not have the resources to complete such a goal in the near or far future, advanced technology or not." Pisces elaborated. "But Thornment has given us a new direction to go into. The possible means of achieving true immortality…by shedding our physical forms." He stood up, his eyes glowing once more. "We were tasked by our queen to find a possible route of evolution for mankind and we have found it. All that remains is to gain the means to initiate it. Join us, and together we could become ethereal beings immune to the plagues that are death and time. Through this Ascension we can cement ourselves as the most powerful beings in the galaxy."

Nightshade narrowed her eyes. She heard this before, from a cult that existed on pre-war Cybertron…a cult that was run by the witch who caused so many people pain and misery in the name of her "goddess". She never thought about it until now, but these humans were preaching the exact same methodology that those of the Order dictated. If that was the case, then she couldn't accept it.

"I have only one goal in life," nightshade said. "And that's helping Megatron win this war and make our people the strongest in the universe in a unified empire. I don't have time to entertain your fanatical dreams."

"It's only a dream if you lack the means to make it come true." Pisces replied.

"The answer is still no." She said.

"Yeah, what she said." Knockout nodded.

Pisces frowned and sat back down, looking slightly disappointed, but not overly so. "That's a shame. We could've achieved so much together."

"Try not dissecting the friends of the people you're trying to recruit." Knockout remarked.

"In that case, I see no reason to keep you around anymore. Goodbye Nightshade of the Decepticons. I'll send you Soundwave's funeral card in a few days."

Pisces snapped his fingers and the holo-avatars of the Cons vanished, flickering out of existence like a bad television reception.

XXXXXX

Nightshade's purple optics flickered on and she shot her head up. It took her a moment to gather her bearings and realize that she was in her beast mode 400 miles away from the mansion. Songbird, who was resting on a tree branch, squeaked as Nightshade transformed to robot mode and punched a hole in a tree trunk.

"That bastard!" She roared. "Who the hell does he think he is? Preaching the choir to me like I'm some fragging moron! That slag might work on Starscream, but I won't be led astray by some human who thinks he's a god!"

"Mistress, what happened?" Songbird asked.

" _Whoa,"_ Knockout said over the comm. " _Is anyone else getting feedback by the sudden deactivation or is it just me?"_

"Quit your yapping Knockout and call Leader-1 for a ground bridge! I'm going after Soundwave, Songbird, come!"

Nightshade was already in the air and flying towards Soundwave's location with Songbird in tow.

XXXXXX

"I've heard stories about you, you know. Bludgeon's little pet, the mindreader. The silent killer. He who does no scream, cry or shout. A literal blank slate. A glitch perhaps, or something more personal."

Soundwave's arm was already dislocated from its joint, but he did not flinch or cry out, having severed his circuit connections. But with one arm broken and another restrained, Thornment was now slowly strangling him with her legs around his neck, tightening her hold on him each second, ready to pop his head off like a champagne bottle. Soundwave knew he wasn't in a good position right now, and help was not going to get there in time.

"You are no conqueror or warrior, you are a child. Autobots, Decepticons, all children in the eyes of the true Creator. Maybe if you plead for forgiveness, the glorious Jubileus will grant you a place in her Host. She will grant you eternal Paradise."

"S-Soundwave superior," He grunted. "Thornment inferior."

Thornment hissed and started putting pressure on his neck, ready to snap his head off with brute force. But a particle blast to her back blasted her off Soundwave and sent her into a tree. Laserbeak swooped in low, firing his laser cannons at her while Ravage tore apart the vines holding Soundwave. The spymaster fell to the grould, clutching his broken arm.

"Sorry we're late." Ravage said. "We ran into human forces on the way and it took some time killing them."

"You filthy animals!" Thornment shouted and smacked her vines into Laserbeak, sending him into a tree branch. "I'll decapitate you all!"

"You can try." Laserbeak groaned.

Thornment slammed her hands into the ground and extended the razor thin circuits in her arms into the soil, connecting with the roots of the trees around her. She planned on bringing this entire forest alive to bring these heathens down, even if it drew attention to her. She didn't care! She was through playing games now, she was out for blood!

Only she never got the chance as an arrow flew past her ace and hit the ground under her, blasting her away with a large explosion that ruptured her connection. She crashed at the foot of a tree and saw Nightshade fly through the canopy and land on the ground, aiming Gandiva at her head. Thornment was ready to tear that bird a new one, but she knew how dangerous that bow was. Vowing to kill her and Soundwave slowly, Thornment transformed into her rose mode and dug her pointed legs into the ground, spinning in place and sinking into the ground, already gone before Nightshade could fire an arrow at her.

"Little bitch." Nightshade hissed and turned to Soundwave. "Are you alright?"

"I have minimal damage," He told her. "It is not relevant."

"A broken arm and multiple lacerations is definitely relevant, Soundwave." She sighed. "Come on, let's get back to base and-"

An energy bolt hit her in the shoulder and she fell to the ground. clutching her arm, Nightshade saw a dozen Zygart Talos charging at them, firing plasma bolts at the two Cons. Running away from them were Rumble and Frenzy. Nightshade recognized the blue glow of those energy bursts and purified energon usually channeled in blasters and other energy weapons.

"Energon? But how did…?" She gritted her teeth in barely controlled rage. "Thornment!"

She fired an arrow and destroyed one Zygart before Songbird and Laserbeak brought down another, but the humans pressed the assault with their new weapons, which were much more effective than projectile weaponry.

"Knockout, get that ground bridge now!" Nightshade shouted.

The green vortex appeared behind them, and Soundwave limped into the portal along with the Minicons. Nightshade fired one more arrow before jumping into the bridge. The portal vanished before the Zygarts could reach them, leaving the forest dark once more.

XXXXXX

"I'd say that was a successful test run of our new Talos weaponry, wouldn't you agree Thornment?" Pisces said, sounding quite pleased despite the circumstances.

He was still in his study, but with a human-sized hologram of Thornment standing next to him and looking quite pissed off at the moment.

"You damn fool!" She growled. "Why did you let them go?"

"It was to spread the word of our cause. It didn't matter much to me since they didn't get anything valuable." He saw the scowl on her face. "Don't be like that. We can't fight them with all these witnesses around. Fighting them would be counterproductive."

"You made me lose my prey! I had the spymaster at my mercy before the glitch you set free almost killed me!"

"It's not my fault you ignored my warnings to bring back-up." He replied, earning a plethora of cybertronians curses from her. "Relax, you will have other chances to kill them. But right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to."

He pointed at his desk and where there was a thick folder titled "Project: Inhuman" on the cover. Thornment cursed him again, but let the issue go…for now. "Fine. I'll head over to Wyoming with Aries. You owe me a Decepticon head, you stupid fish."

Pisces waved her off as her image vanished. Sighing, he walked over to his desk and took a sip of his vintage white wine, pressing a button on his phone to call up one of his researchers. "Stephanie, could you give me an update of Theodore Harkins' condition? I think it's time we went to the next phase of Project: Inhuman."


	11. Inhuman part 1

Chapter 11-Inhuman part 1

At an undisclosed location, the Zodiac general Pisces was in his personal lab working on a project that was nearly five decades in the making. He did so with an urgency he rarely displayed, mostly because he was close to a breakthrough, and he wouldn't stop until he knew he had something. The normally clean and refined general looked like he hadn't slept in days, his usually groomed hair slightly unkempt and his luminous eyes red and sleep deprived. He was testing the limits of his stamina that even his fellow Zodiac hadn't shown yet. His comrades noticed this change in him, but left him be, which was fine with him. He had no time dealing with children treating war like a game.

The lab was dark save for one light near the front of the room. Pisces sat bent over his table, not making any major movements save for minute twitches when studying his beakers and magnified samples. He heard the door creak open and the loud clip-clop of high heeled shoes against the tiled marble floor. Pisces didn't need to look up to see that it was Aquarius.

"Are you still working on that farce of a project of yours?" Aquarius asked rudely, looking down on him like she always does.

"Are you and Aries still playing war games with the cybertronians?" Pisces smoothly retorted.

Aquarius scowled. Pisces was the wrong person to be snide with. "Why aren't you working with the science department on the Master project? We have a schedule to keep and a deadline to meet, you know. Don't forget your job."

"My job? I am doing my job, Aquarius, or have you forgotten our mission? To usher mankind into the divine age through evolution?"

"I know that you fool! And the cybertronians are the key to that goal!"

"Really? And how's that going?" Pisces finally took a break from his work to give her a mocking smile. "You may have gotten lucky with that Decepticon corpse and Thornment's help with those insecticon T-cogs, but combating them is getting harder with each encounter. The Decepticons are actively seeking us out and torching our installations and even the Autobots are growing more ruthless in their counterattacks on us. We're losing too many soldiers, but more importantly, too many expensive mecha."

Aquarius wanted to punch the man right in his smug face. "Get to the point, you stupid fish!"

"Wars are not just won by luck or brutal tactics," Pisces continued. "Advanced technology and proper battle tactics are what define the outcome of a battle and ultimately, the war. History has proven that new innovations are the bridge between victory and defeat for a both sides. And that is what we need."

"A new secret weapon? So I assume that you're working on something that could give us the winning edge." She hummed. "That explains why you're acting so strange. You always get caught up in your little projects."

"There's nothing little about my work, Aquarius," Pisces said. "And yes, I have worked on something to aid us. This is our answer."

He took a pair of tweezers and picked up a small red crystal no bigger than a diamond ring. Aquarius thought it was some kind of ruby, but realized that the crystal was not only glowing, it was radiating heat. Pisces couldn't help but smile as she looked at the little mineral with unconcealed interest.

"What is that?" She asked.

The smile Pisces gave was all teeth, and actually made Aquarius a bit uncomfortable. "Our evolution."

XXXXXX

Ironhide drove down the lone highway in the middle of a barren, empty landscape that made up the state of Nevada. Next to him was Undertone, who was the worst person to do a late night recon mission with, as Ironhide just learned. The Minicon had never uttered a word, and Ironhide felt himself going insane from talking to himself. He had the radio tuned in to a station that played some old country music to help pass the time as they did their rounds. He wasn't one to complain about pulling recon duty since it came with the job, but he had to admit that driving around in the middle of nowhere without anyone to talk to was terrible.

'I can see why the humans loathe this place. Primus, I feel like shooting myself in the head just to stave off the boredom.' Ironhide thought. Getting tired of the looping country music, he switched the station to another that had somewhat decent music, but not much of an improvement over what he already listened to. "Can't a mech get better music out here?"

" _Ironhide, this is Ratchet, do you copy?"_ Ratchet called over the comm.

"Yeah, yeah I hear ya." Ironhide grumbled.

" _How are things out there?"_

"Dull and boring. I'm driving out here in the middle of a fragging desert with a Minicon who speaks through sign language. What do you think?" Ironhide ranted. Then he added, "I can hear you smiling, Ratchet."

" _Well, just hang in there a little longer. Jasper can't be that bad."_

"You've never been there."

" _True,"_ Ratchet chuckled. " _Well, I'll leave you to your never ending nightmare. See you later."_

Ratchet signed off and Ironhide grumbled some more. "Cheeky bastard."

The new few minutes were uneventful, save for a few close encounters with some local wildlife that deemed it safe to cross the road just when a pick-up truck was about to pass by them. It wasn't until it neared the end of his shift that Ironhide saw someone standing in the middle of the road.

It was a man. He was tall, taller than any human the cybertronians had seen, and very muscular as well. He was clad in a tight fitting sandy brown jumpsuit that looked like a custom made version of the clothes military men wear. He had healthy skin and neat, short blond hair with striking baby blue eyes.

Ironhide and Undertone quickly activated their holomatters and the Autobot honked his horn. "Get off the damn road!"

The man did not move, and Ironhide could see the beginnings of a smirk on his face. What happened next reaffirmed his complaints about recon duty in Nevada.

The man's eyes glowed a bright, luminous blue and a ring of energy formed around his body from his eyes. From this energized halo, a collection of energy spheres manifested around Ironhide and Undertone, exploding with the force of a dozen tank shells, tearing up the road in a chaotic display. Ironhide was blasted into the air and was forced to transform to robot mode.

Undertone was already in his robot form and was sprinting towards the assailant. The man grinned and fired his halo again, tearing up the ground with destructive bolts of energy. Undertone swiftly dodged the debris and lunged at the superhuman, slashing his swords down on the man's raised arms. The blades cut into his flesh, but to his surprise, they didn't completely sever his forearms.

"You'll have to hit me harder than that!" The man grinned and batted the swords away, swinging his fist forward to punch Undertone in the chest. The ninja-mech felt his chest actually cave in from the force of the blow and was sent crashing into the ground, bounding off the rocks before rolling to a stop.

"Undertone!" Ironhide leveled his cannons at the man and fired his fission blasts. The human, for his large bulk and size, dodged the attacks by jumping away, leaping a good 2 feet before landing hard on the ground and skidding to a stop near the road.

"That's right, you better come at me with the intent to kill!" He shouted and fired more energy halos at Ironhide. The red Autobot avoided most of them, but the three orbs that hit him felt like taking a high powered plasma ball to his body. Ironhide hissed in pain as his arm and legs were damaged by the energy spheres. The man charged at him, still unleashing his destructive display of raw power as he ran with the speed of a wild horse.

Ironhide felt another sphere hit his shoulder and burn away at his tough armor like a laser scalpel. The human was out to kill him and he wasn't pulling any punches. Ironhide fired his cannon at the man, who sprinted forward to dodge the energy ball, only to run head first into Ironhide's metal fist. He took the punch head on, and he felt his bones crack, but not break. Ironhide didn't hold back with that punch and he sent the man flying back a few feet, but he was surprised once more to see the man still standing, looking relatively unharmed save for a bruised left arm, which was also fractured.

'What the hell is this guy?' Ironhide thought. 'That punch should've smashed him on the spot!'

Ironhide was so shocked that he failed to dodge the energy sphere that exploded against his chest. He was blasted onto his back, with a smoking hole in his chest plate. He pushed himself up and glared at the smirking human.

"Sorry to do this to ya big red, but orders are orders," The man's eyes began crackling with energy as he walked towards the downed Autobot. "I'll be sure to wear one of your gears as a ring in your memory."

Ironhide got to his feet and stood protectively over Undertone as the man prepared to unleash another assault on him, but help arrived as a ground bridge opened up. Optimus, Bulkhead and Jetfire came running out of the portal. The man had no time to react as Optimus fired his ion cannon at the ground and blasted him off his feet. He hit the ground hard and grunted as he dislocated his shoulder from the bone breaking impact, leaving a little crater in the ground. When he stood back up, the Autobots were gone without a trace.

"Damn, there goes my bragging rights." He frowned and took out his radio. "Sir, this is Colossus. I've made contact with an Autobot, but he got away."

"How did your fight against him go?"

"I had him on his toes, sir. The tin can could take some hits but I managed to bring him to his knees. His little ninja friend got the worst of it, though."

"Good. Return to base immediately Colossus, you've done me proud."

Patrick O'Connor, known to his colleagues as HMH Colossus, smiled at his commander's praise. "Just doing my job sir."

XXXXXX

Ironhide and Undertone had been rushed to the med bay the minute they got back to the Ark. Ratchet studied Ironhide's wounds before placing him in the CR chamber, and had Longarm perform surgery on Undertone to mediate the damage done to his internal components. The damages weren't life threatening, but the punch the Minicon took nearly caved in his Spark core and caused energon buildup that would've been lethal in the long run. Once he was sure that the patients were taken care of, Ratchet went to address the other Autobots' concerns for their friends.

"What's the diagnosis doc?" Jazz asked.

"Ironhide will be fine, but the damages he got were serious. The human that attacked him was strong, and powerful enough to leave visible marks on his body." Ratchet typed in a command to Teletran-1 and brought up some pictures of the burns on Ironhide's body.

It was like something had branded Ironhide, like a superheated drill that gore into his shoulders and arms. The energy blasts had warped the Autobot's armor to the point that visible indents were seen on his body. It was grotesque, even Optimus had to cringe at the severity of the damages.

"See how his armor is warped? That's where he was reportedly hit by the energy spheres the man fired at him," Ratchet said, pointing at each of the pictures. "And they could deal a serious punch if taken head on. Ironhide's thick armor saved from him any life threatening damages."

"An esper did all that to him?" Moonracer sucked her teeth. She knew some espers were strong, but to bring down Ironhide of all people?"

"A powerful esper, yes? Keep in mind that most espers are probablt better equipped to fight us than others. Ironhide's had some altercations with some in the past." Prowl said.

"Is anyone going to ask where the hell this guy came from?" Bulkhead asked. "I mean, the man just comes out of nowhere and tries to slag two of our own. I'm no strategist, but that doesn't seem like a coincidence to me."

"Unless Ironhide was specifically hunted down and targeted for attack." Arcee said. That brought the conversation to a halt as one word ran through their minds.

"OZ." Bumblebee growled. He was still sore about those monsters stealing his T-cog and nearly crippling him for life. "Those good for nothing savages."

"So what do we do?" Jetfire questioned.

"For now, we can do nothing until they make an appearance again, if at all." Optimus told his team. "Stay alert on your recon duty, Autobots. From now on, we go in pairs. No solo missions. We can't let them ambush us like they did Ironhide. "

The team saluted their leader and dispersed. Ratchet watched them go then turned to Optimus, who shared his grim expression. They didn't voice their real concerns, but this felt more like a preemptive attack than a random ambush. OZ didn't do anything without a good reason, so what was the purpose of this surprise attack on one of their own?

XXXXXX

Dr. Stephanie Bergen stood at the back of the crowd that was assembled in the hangar of the OZ regional base. There were a multitude of soldiers and scientists who worked on Project Inhuman that were awaiting the arrival of their crowning achievement, HMH Colossus.

The man himself came riding on top of one of OZ's new armored convoys, the Tumbler, looking like Achilles after bringing down Troy. The crowd cheered and rushed him, shouting their praise like he as a war hero. In a way, he was. Colossus was their first living test subject, a superman who towered above them all and proved himself against their dreaded metal enemies. He caught Stephanie's eye and winked at her, causing her to snort and look away.

It wasn't the first time the lumbering brute made a pass at her. Stephanie was a beauty for her age; a young woman with an athletic body and long golden hair tied into a loose ponytail. Her emerald green eyes were dark and a little dull, and she wore a tight black bodysuit that hugged her form with a lab coat over it. But like most beauties, her appearance was marred by her cynical attitude, followed by her habit of smoking cigarettes and burning them out on her arms. If Colossus was the war hero, then Stephanie was the war veteran, the lucky one who made it back, but found it hard to escape the bloodshed in her mind. The unsung hero.

"Colossuss!"

The crowd parted when Pisces came walking in, arms spread wide with a big smile on his handsome face. He reached Colossus and hugged him tightly like a father greeting his long lost son. "Colossus, you wonderful man, you've done a great job tonight! I knew you'd do us proud!"

"Just doing m part for the cause, sir." Colossus smiled.

"Exactly, and soon there will be many more like you doing their part for OZ." Pisces said and turned to Stephanie. "You see, Dr. Bergen? This is the fruits of your labor. A new form of human being: the Inhuman! You should be proud."

"I am. You can see how proud I am by my expression." Stephanie said dryly.

Pisces merely chuckled and had Colossus return to the hero worship of his peers. Stephanie followed after him, knowing that they had to go immediately back to business. It didn't matter that she was sick and tired of working long hours into the night just to make superpowered beefcakes, but she didn't have a choice.

"What's next on the agenda?" She asked.

"A little last minute errand, my dear." He answered, making her suspicious.

"What errand?"

He didn't answer. Pisces and Stephanie walked through the armory towards the wing of the base that served as their medical center. They stopped at the room on the far end of the first floor, which belonged to a special patient still under recovery. Pisces opened the door and entered, giving his best smile to cover his fake concern for the patient.

"Ms. Beller? How are you feeling?" He asked. Stephanie thought it was some cruel joke on his part to even ask the question while the woman couldn't even speak yet.

Josie Beller was a former Talos pilot in service to OZ. Originally a Helic Major who was dishonorably discharged from the military, Beller was the heart of OZ's experimental Talos, Circuit Breaker. Stephanie had heard the accounts of her battle against the Autobots last year. An ill fated conflict with supposedly a little girl who not only disabled the Circuit Breaker mecha but also short-circuited the bodysuit Beller was wearing to channel her powers, leading to a serious injury that left her paralyzed save for her right arm.

Looking at her now, Beller was best described as a mess. Visible burns were visible on parts of her body that weren't covered in bandages, and her hair had yet to fully grow back, still hugging her scarred scalp. Her right arm was in a harness, while her left hung on her bed limply. But despite the mental stress that such injuries would cause, Beller's eyes were live and vibrant, but held a great deal of anger within them. Brown eyes that once held arrogance and superiority, were now filled with hatred. Hatred for the ones that put her in this terrible condition.

"Sorry I haven't been visiting lately. I've been busy with work that couldn't be put off. But I have someone I want you to meet." Pisces waved a hand to Stephanie. "This is Stephanie Bergen, the leading scientist I have on a project I'm working on, Project: Inhuman. You see, you've just recently tested positive in a blood test to confirm if you're legible to take part in the project. It involves a procedure to enhance the human body."

Beller's eyes widened, as did Stephanie's. The doctor wasn't expecting the general to be already working on transforming another human into and Inhuman, an enhanced. He wasn't kidding when he told her that he wasn't wasting time. But Pisces paid her concerns no mind as he continued to sell his deal.

"The process I'm talking about is very risky even for those who are eligible. It is painful and violent, and you will feel as if you're getting ripped limb from limb. But when it's over, not only will you be fully healed, but you'll be strong. Strong enough to fight the Autobots, Decepticons and any other cybertronian that tries to mess with us." He said strongly. "So, do you want to take the plunge to become powerful?"

Beller's breathing increased, and her right hand shakily clenched into a fist. Pisces smiled at her patriotism.

"I'll take that as a yes."

They moved her body onto a medical berth and pushed her bed out of the medical wing. They took her onto an elevator that went even deeper underground onto the third sub-level, which was built like a nuclear bunker. In fact, the entire floor consisted of an office area and a large, heavily reinforced room that had only a single chair in the middle. Pisces and Stephanie rolled Beller inside and lifted her limp, scarred body into the chair, strapping her wrists and ankles to it.

'What…are they doing?' Beller thought, now starting to have some reservations about this. How dangerous was it if they were strapping her down like a prisoner for death row?

"Just a safety measure, Beller. As I said, the conversion process is rather violent and painful." Pisces told her, as if that was supposed to make her feel better.

Once Stephanie was done strapping Beller's limbs to the chair securely, she stood up and gave the woman a pitying look that said "I'm sorry". She opened the briefcase she brought with her and used a pair of tweezers to pull out a single red crystal. It didn't look that threatening, but Beller could feel her heart rate increase as the doctor held the crystal close to her.

"Fear not, Josie Beller," Pisces said as he held her head as Stephanie slowly lowered the crystal towards her face. "Once the pain is over, you will be reborn as a new warrior. A warrior of the Zodiac."

Stephanie pressed the crystal into Beller's forehead and let it go. Nothing happened for a second, then Beller felt her forehead start to heat up. The heat went from feeling like a mild warmth to a scalding pain in seconds, and in a minute it was already reaching unbearably painful levels. Her eyes bulged as she opened her mouth in a silent scream as the pain spread from her forehead to the rest of her head and slowly to the rest of her body from the head down. Her body thrashed in place, her retrained limbs straining against the leather straps, tears running from her eyes as she underwent the first phase of her rebirth.

At that moment, Josie Beller knew pain on an intimate level.

XXXXXX

"Huh? A present?" Ratchet said, looking confused at Bumblebee, who had come to him in the middle of one of his scanning sessions.

"Yeah, for Gina." Bumblebee tilted his head when he saw the look on Ratchet's face. "For her birthday, Ratchet. It's in a few days."

Ratchet nodded and let out a little "oh" at that little piece of news. Despite his acute knowledge of alien physiology, he wasn't really keen on learning anything else other than things of the medical field. Learning about other cultures was something Jazz and Bumblebee were adept at. But still, he couldn't help but feel guilty for not remembering Gina's birthday. She spent more time with him than any of the other bots, even her "student" in all things Terran, Bumblebee.

Gina had become surprisingly important to Ratchet's personal life. She was like one of those young Autobot cadets who would ask him what Cybertron was like before the war, before the senate and the functionists, when the planet was golden and prosperous. She was smart, curious and very acute in learning new skills. She took to learning how to read cybertronian like a textbook and her ability to remember key moments of his race's history was amazing. When she told him that he was like a grandfather to her, Ratchet honestly felt touched. And to think that he had the audacity to forget the most important day in her life.

"I don't know what kind of birthday present you can give a girl who makes robots and laser weapons in her spare time, Bee. She's not the type of girl you can just give flowers and a cake to and call it a day." Ratchet told him. "Has she been hinting at wanting anything? Making discreet suggestions, sneaking glances at anything important?"

"Well," Bumblebee rubbed the back of his head. "She hasn't really talked about her birthday all that much. In fact, I think she forgot."

"Forgot? How can she forget about her own birthday?" Ratchet asked, and then put up a hand. "Wait, I know. She's usually forgetful with things like birthdays."

Bumblebee nodded. "Especially with all the craziness that's been happening. Granted, she often has her head in the clouds after she got back from Cybertron."

Ratchet frowned at the mention of that harrowing mission. To hear of an alien, much less a human, actually interfacing with Vector Sigma was unbelievable. Gina had went into great detail about everything up to that blank point in her memory. He was very thorough in his tests of her for any sign of residual radiation poisoning or defects from the abnormal transportation. But he never did see if there were any mental side effects.

He hoped it was nothing, but when dealing with an anomaly such as Vector Sigma, it was better to be safe than sorry.

XXXXXX

The large metal feet of the Prometheus Talos crushed damp foliage and fallen leaves underfoot as it landed in the middle of a dark forest. Its bright red and gold paint scheme clashed greatly with the surrounding foliage and made it stand out like a sore thumb. But thankfully, it wasn't on any mission, at least not an official one. Darren looked around and sighed, wondering why Gina came out here of all places.

He located her unit's signal and walked through the dense flora, heavy rain pelting his mecha as it trudged through the thick rainforest. He had never been to Azteca, and he never planned on going there. The high humidity and ungodly amount of dangerous insects that could kill with a single look made it a very unpleasant place for him. The story of Optimus and Jazz fighting a dragon native to the region. Heaven help him if he had to deal with a dragon because Gina wanted to go search for some ancient civilization or something.

The trial led him to a large cave that extended deep underground, one of many that dotted Azteca. He immediately saw Gina's white Talos, the Athena, kneeling at the foot of the cave, water dripping off its form. Gina was sitting next to its feet, staring out into the brush alone. She saw Darren and waved him over.

"Hey, Darren," Gina greeted with a small smile. "Want to sit out here in the rain?"

'Thanks but I'm good.' That was what he wanted to say out of the fear of being stung by some creepy crawly, but instead he said aloud, "Okay, if you say so."

He positioned his Talos next to hers and climbed out of the cockpit, jumping to the ground and sitting on the damp rocks next to her. Together they sat there watching the rain pour relentlessly on the forest, drenching everything. Darren allowed himself to enjoy the peaceful silence of nature untouched before he decided to ask the money question. "So…what are you doing out here?"

"Just…thinking." Gina answered vaguely.

Darren nodded and waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he sighed and asked, "About what?"

"Things. A lot of things that I'm trying to sort out." She said.

Darren didn't like what he was seeing. This wasn't the nerdy girl he grew up with; the girl who's eyes would light up at the news of some new discovery that was made, or learning more about the various alien life the Autobots had encountered in the past. He was used to that girl, not this brooding mech pilot who looked like she saw Gaia in all her glory. It was something only Gina's close friends noticed; this sudden change in her attitude, her sudden decline in mood and so on. It was small at first, but lately as her birthday neared, Gina started acting like something bad was going to happen.

"Gina, what's wrong. I know something's been bothering you. You've been acting strange lately; in fact, you've been acting like this since you got back from Cybertron." Darren crossed his arms and glared at her. "Tell me, Gina. I know I can help in some way."

Gina glanced at him and gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She stood up and walked past him out of the cave and into the rain. Darren could only stare as he watched her stand out in the downpour, arms outstretched, letting was water fall on her. It was like she was trying to wash away the worries she'd been having lately.

"Do you know what Vector Sigma is, Darren?" Gina asked.

Darren blinked at her. "Um, isn't it a supercomputer? That's what the Autobots called it."

"Yes, that's what they see it as, but…" Gina bit her lip as she thought back to that moment in Cybertron's core-the Primal Wellspring as Optimus called it. "I touched it, Darren. As in literally merged with it, mind and body. It doesn't look like some supercomputer. I felt like I was communicating with some higher intelligence."

"Like…a god?"

Gina shook her head and said she didn't know. She wasn't an overly religious person who put much stock in gods, especially after learning of the dolems and how they hide behind a façade of false divinity. As a scientist, she had to look at everything with a certain degree of skepticism. But after experiencing all that with Vector Sigma, she couldn't describe it as anything else but divine.

"It was like I was flying through a sea of stars. I could see the whole universe, Darren. Stars, planets, nebulae, everything. All the while I felt something roaming through my mind, taking information from me while giving some information in return. I want to call it very advanced technology, Darren, but I just can't bring myself to see it as just some computer."

Darren, despite hearing her story three times, couldn't keep the look of awe off his face. It sounded like Gina had seen God himself and was change profoundly by it. Gina was careful to keep the news of the cybertronian glyph on the back of her neck. Seeing that she was lost in her thoughts, Darren thought it would be best to change the subject to something more light-hearted for both their sakes.

"So, your birthday is coming up in a few days." He said, trying to look innocent. "You excited?"

"I forgot all about it to be honest. Everything's been so crazy, and then we have this thing with OZ again…" She shrugged. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. "You aren't planning a surprise party, are you?"

"What? No! I would never do something so obvious." Darren snorted. There goes that plan. "I was just thinking of something simpler…like fireworks!"

Gina giggled. "Fireworks?"

"Yeah. I'm sure I can get Wheeljack to cook something up." He said, then muttered, "Gaia knows he causes everything he touches to explode."

Gina smiled and walked back over to Darren. She caught him off guard by throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. "Really Darren, its fine. You don't have to go jump over the moon for me. But…if you really want to do something special, then we can go out."

"G-go out?" Darren blushed.

"Yes, as in going out on a da-"

There was a loud boom and the ebony form of the Enyo came crashing through the trees, ruining the sweet moment. Darren and Gina glared up at Annie as she poked her head out of her cockpit, but were immediately concerned when they saw the look of alarm on her face.

"Annie? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Darren asked.

"You two better get back to base quick. Sara and Jetfire just found something!" Annie said.

XXXXXX

Sara had went along with Jetfire and Comettor on a recon mission. Why? No one knows, considering her attitude towards the Autobots was still a little frosty (though she doesn't make threats anymore, thank heavens). It was either luck of skill that allowed Comettor to locate the small OZ installation in Canadia, which Jetfire quickly disabled with an air strike followed by Sara wiping out the ground forces.

After the baddies were cleared out, the first thing Sara did was connect herself to the main computer and downloaded as much information as she could before reinforcements arrived. Most of the data was encrypted, but what she was able to decode was something that had to be shared with Gina as soon as possible.

"What?" Gina said in a soft voice, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"Your father, Theodore Harkins," Sara said, not looking at the scared expression on her friend's face. "I have confirmed that he is in the custody of OZ, more specifically one of their generals, Pisces."

The news came as a horrific shock to Gina and Sureshock quickly helped her sit down before she could fall. Optimus and the other Autobots weren't very happy at this news either. They knew that Gina's father, who was an archaeology professor who went abroad on various projects, vanished three years ago while on an expedition to Azteca. Neither Gina nor her mother Julia knew what happened to him or if he was still alive…until now.

"Do you know where Mr. Harkins is, Sara?" Optimus asked.

Sara shook her head. "I'm sorry, but all I know is that he is being held prisoner somewhere, and is involved in an OZ project called Project: Inhuman."

Gina shot back up to her feet. "Oh god, they're experimenting on him?!"

"Calm down, Gina. We don't know that for sure." Prowl said.

"You don't know that! Those freaks will hurt anyone to get ahead!" Gina shouted, starting to panic. "Look what happened to Debbie!"

"Gina, please," Darren wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We'll find him. We just need more information."

"I am decoding the rest of the information as we speak in my cyber-brain, but I do have a possible lead on where to look." Sara looked up at Optimus, who lifted her onto the Teletran-1 terminal. Connecting a plug from the back of her neck into the console, Sara downloaded some data from her cyber-brain into Teletran and brought up some documents on the monitor. "There is a large OZ facility located in the state of Sioux. It's one of the more relevant outposts in the west coast, and it might have the information we need."

"But that means getting someone on the inside, and OZ doesn't take kindly to intruders. The amount of soldiers inside the base will be large, and that's not taken into the account the number of Talos." Prowl deduced the numbers in his head, and he did not like the possible outcome of an all-out assault on the base. "Our chances of winning such a fight is low, Prime. They have numbers and resources on us. Not to mention we don't know if that femme they're working with is there. There's too many wild cards to factor in."

"Whoa, we can't just throw in the towel before we've even started making plans!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"Use your head, Bumblebee. If we attack head on or even try to sneak in, then we'll only end up hurt or worse." Prowl said. "I'm sorry, but those are the facts."

"SCREW THE FACTS!"

Everyone looked at Gina, who was glaring at them with an anger she rarely showed. She was trying to blink away tears as she gave the Autobots a piece of her mind. "If you tin cans won't help my dad, then I'll go myself!"

"Gina, that's suicide!" Arcee said, but Gina wasn't having it.

"I don't give a damn. My dad is still alive and I want him back. Even if I have to fight the Zodiac themselves, I'm not going to let him rot in some prison!"

"And we'll help her." Annie said strongly.

"She's got that right." Darren nodded. Their Minicon guardians were also on their side as well.

Prowl frowned at the children. "Even with the Athena's stealth capabilities, you won't last for long on your own. It's still too dangerous."

"How about we let the real commander here decide for us before we go tearing each other's throats out?" Bulkhead said and turned to Optimus. "Optimus? It's your call. What should we do?"

Optimus stared at Prowl, then at the kids. He knew they weren't bluffing about going it alone. With their Omega Talos, they were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, although Prowl's deduction on too many unknown factors to account for had some merit as well. Crossing his arms, he sighed and gave his team a look.

"I'm sorry Prowl, but the sole purpose of being an Autobot is to preserve all life, even a single individual. We will save your father, Gina." Optimus promised the blonde. "This I swear on the Allspark."

Gina smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Optimus."

"But we still don't know how we're going to hit them." Arcee pointed out. "With all the soldiers and weapons they have, how are we even going to get close to the base?"

"Leave that to me." Prowl said gruffly. "I'll think of a plan that's at has a percentage of at least a 75% success rate."

"Very good, Prowl." Optimus looked at the rest of his team. "Autobots, children, get ready to move out. Today, we strike at OZ."

XXXXXX

As expected, the OZ base looking nothing like a military base belonging to a terrorist organization. Living up to their habit of hiding in plain sight, the base was disguised as a large farm. A pleasant little white house sat next to a huge barn, with a massive corn field a few feet away from the dirt road. There was another barn house that acted as an autoshop, large enough accommodate a cybertronian around Optimus's size. To the average person, it'd look like a normal piece of land on the countryside that was pretty to look at when passing by.

But the Autobots weren't fooled. In their past experiences in fighting OZ, they learned to expect the unexpected and not to let their guard down because they were humans. Oz liked to take refuge in locations either so far out of the way that no one can find them or in places no one would think to look at first glance. They could tell just from the size of the farmland alone that this base held a lot of personal, both infantry and mechanized.

The plan itself was a simple divide and conquer maneuver. The Autobots would launch a frontal assault to draw the bulk of OZ's forces out into the open while the children used the opening to sneak into the base. Darren, Gina, Sara and Centurion were going to be escorted into the base with Annie's Enyo, which was outfitted with a thermo-optic camouflage system Wheeljack designed for the Talos.

Night had already fallen, and all was quiet when the Autobots drove up to the farm and transformed at once. They wasted no time in pointing their weapons a anything they saw and waited for Optimus to give the order to attack.

"Autobots attack!" Optimus shouted.

The Autobots opened fire on the house and barn with a barrage of laser fire and particle bursts, lighting up the dark corn field with their weapons fire. The assault had completely destroyed the house and tore apart the barn, but it wasn't a minute later that well hidden entry hatches under the corn maze and the plowed field began to slide apart, and a collection of HS tanks started rolling out into the open. From the auto shop, another entry hatch disguised as a garage slid open and groups of Zygart Talos were raised to the surface on a large platform elevator. Within minutes the pleasant image of the humble little farm was destroyed by the mobilization of armored vehicles and mecha.

"Looks like we got their attention!" Bulkhead said and grunted when a volley of laser blasts hit the side of his arm. "What the hell? These guys have energy weapons now?"

"A little upgrade they probably got from their new friend." Arcee said. A Zygart charged at her and fired a plasma burst as her face. She ducked under its gun and severed its arms with her sabers, kicking it in the chest to knock it down. "Took them longer than I expected for that to happen."

"Cut the chatter and focus on the fight." Prowl grunted, firing his laser rifle at a few HS tanks that were firing HEAT rounds at his body. "They're coming at us heavy and hard."

"Stick with the plan, Autobots. Hold your position until our friends give the signal." Optimus said, firing his ion cannon at the legs of a few approaching Talos.

Not too far away, the cloaked figure of the Enyo glided across the ground on a cloud of untraceable Sol particles as it neared the auto shop. Concealed in its arms were Darren, Gina (both kids garbed in their pilot exo-suits) and Sara, while Centurion hung on its shoulders. Annie landed next to the barn and waited for the three Zygarts to exit first before quickly running inside.

Darren grunted as the Enyo practically jumped on the platform before it sank back into the ground. "Watch it Annie, we're not made of metal."

"Do you want to get in or not?" Annie sniffed. She shifted in her pilot seat and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "We're on a schedule here, people."

"Not now, guys." Gina said, fingering her laser pistol nervously. She felt vulnerable going into the heat of battle without the protection of her Talos after spending so much time with it. Sara noticed her unease and gripped her hand tightly to show her support.

"Be calm, Ms. Gina. We will be with you." Sara said, giving her a faint smile. Gina smiled back and squeezed her hand.

"Thanks."

" _We're almost to the bottom. Once we've stopped, I'll have to torch the Talos waiting at the bottom, so you guys need to haul ass as fast as possible."_ Annie said through her Enyo's audio speakers. She lowered the four onto the platform and readied her weapons. " _It's going to get loud down here."_

As soon as the platform reached the bottom, Annie pressed the trigger and the Enyo unleashed a barrage of anti-Talos bullets and laser bolts from its machine gun and mini-gun barrels. The unexpected assault tore up the unprepared Zygarts and Orions that were waiting to get taken above. Alarms started blaring but Annie ignored it as she mowed down the enemies in front of her. She took care to use her mini-gun ammo sparingly, bringing out her left arm's blade to cut down the Zygarts that tried to shoot her down. The blade was coated in a thin layer of Sol particles that increased its cutting ability and allowed Annie to cut through the composite armor of the Zygarts with practiced ease.

As the chaos went on around them, Darren, Gina, Centurion and Sara ran along the walls of the hangar to the hallway, leaving Annie to cause as much damage as possible. The clock was ticking and they had to move fast.

XXXXX

The Zodiac general known as Scorpio watched the battle above with glee. He stood in the security room staring at the large monitor that showed the battle above. Though his mouth was covered by an iron muzzle that was nailed into his jawbone, one could see the savage excitement in his black, soulless eyes.

"S-sir?" The female technician sitting next to him called out his name with a notable stammer, trying to conceal her fear of the odd man. "We've got an intruder alert in Section A-2. An unknown Talos has started attacking our men, and four more are infiltrating the left wing."

"Human?" Scorpio hissed.

"Two of them are human, the other is a cybertronian and the last is an unknown mechanoid of some kind." She reported.

Scorpio narrowed his eyes and cracked his shoulders. His black jacket hung off his abnormally tall and lanky form as he shook his arms to get the blood pumping. "Intruders, infesting my nest like a disease. I must remedy this crime. I will go and deal with the Autobots above."

"A-and the intruders, sir?" The woman asked. She gulped as Scorpio turned her way, staring into her soul with his dark eyes. His charcoal black irises were so large that they nearly eclipsed the whites of his eyes, and the fact that he rarely blinked made them even more creepy.

"Send Pisces' new pets to take care of them. I have no need of fighting children lacking the ways of war."

XXXXXX

Outside, the Autobots were still hard at work fighting off the enemy tanks and Talos that were coming at them in wave. The flow of enemy mecha had halted thanks to Annie tearing them up underground, but the ones that were still standing proved to be a challenge in large numbers. The Talos were equipped with specially made plasma rifles that ran on energon, giving them lethal firepower against usually dense cybertronian armor. Not to mention that thanks to Thornment's upgrades, the mecha were moving faster than they did, and a number of them were able to keep the Autobots on their feet if they got close. The HS tanks bombarded them with armor piercing rounds laced with hephaestium powder for a more explosive charge on impact.

The Autobots were holding their own, but Optimus was very clear on not allowing them to use lethal force against the humans. Disarmament was acceptable, but they had to cut corners in shooting down the Zygarts and Orions.

"How many are there?" Bulkhead grunted as a few tank shells hit his shoulder.

"At least three dozen Zygart mecha," Prowl said. "It's not their numbers but their firepower that setting us back. Sooner or later they're going to realize that something's up when we're not trying to advance."

"Just keep shooting them!" Jetfire said, laying it on thick with his particle cannon. "We gotta give the brats some time!"

Suddenly a blue beam was fired from the white house and hit Jetfire in the chest, knocking him to the ground with a smoking hole on his chest plate. Arcee and Bumblebee, who were standing near him, barely had time to evade the next shot that was fired at them. When Bulkhead took another shot in the shoulder, Optimus and Jazz opened fire on the house with their weapons. The house exploded, and a large shape jumped out of the wreckage and landed on the dirt road.

It was a Talos, but one they never seen before. Instead of the standard humanoid configuration, the machine was shaped like a scorpion with red and purple armor. It was the size of a standard Talos length wise, and had two large pincers withheld its missile pods, and the tip of its stinger was a laser cannon developed for this unit specifically. Unlike the palladium reactors powering the Zygarts and Orions, this Talos was powered by an energon reactor for high energy output. It was a monster piloted by a deformed madman. It was the Skorpios Talos.

"Is that a giant bug?" Jetfire groaned.

Scorpio targeted Optimus and fired the laser cannon, which Prime jumped aside to dodge. But then the general opened his pincers and revealed its missile pods, firing off a heat seeking volley that torched the entire area in flames and ground shattering explosions. Jazz fired his photon rifle at the machine, but the Skorpios was quick enough to avoid the blast before shooting a laser blast at Jazz's feet, dousing him in flames.

"Why do you try to resist us?" A scratchy voice said through the speakers. Scorpio let out a raspy laugh as he stalked forward on heavily armor but still flexible legs. "I will not make you suffer. One hole through the heart, and you'll enter the most wonderful sleep in your life. And it will never end…"

"Dear lord, we're stuck with the psycho!" Arcee lamented.

"I AM NO PSYCHO MACHINE!" Scorpio roared. "I AM SCORPIO! THE STRONGEST PREDATOR THERE IS!"

The Skorpios fired the rest of its missiles and its laser cannon at the Autobots, forcing them to scatter. Jazz ducked his head and gritted his teeth from the incendiary destruction going on around him and glared at Arcee.

"You had to piss off the psycho, huh Cee?"

"Shut up!"

XXXXXX

Darren, Gina and their mechanical friends ran through the halls towards their destination, the main databanks where OZ stored their files. Sara had downloaded a map of the base, so she was in the lead, with Centurion taking up the rear. They ran into a few soldiers crossing their path, but Sara made quick work of them with her blades and palm blasters. They reached a large domed room that appeared to act as both an armory and a storage room.

"What is this place?" Centurion questioned, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

"Must be their armory. Look at all these weapons," Darren scanned his eyes over the various assault rifles and heavy artillery that were stacked in an orderly fashion. "How do they pay for this?"

"They're a secret terrorist organization. I imagine they have a lot of people on their payroll." Gina looked at the glass containers that held various objects, but some of them were rather surprising to see. Gina noticed a large metal arm that looked like it belonged to Starscream (severed by Aquarius herself), pieces of Flamewar's armor, and…Barricade's head? "Jinkies, how did they get that?"

"Would you believe me if I said that it was found?" A masculine voice called out.

Centurion grabbed the children before jumping back as the spot they were standing in was engulfed in a blue sphere of energy that left a hole in the floor. Sara and Centurion both defended their charges as a large man walked into the room. HMH Colossus shook his head at the sight of who he was going to fight.

"I have the time of my day, and I get stuck with fighting a bunch of kids. Man, this is a let down." Colossus sighed.

"We've fought Decepticons that could torch you ten times over, pal. Don't mess with us!" Gina growled.

"Yeah, yeah, so you say. But as someone whose brought an Autobot to his knees, you should probably reconsider fighting me. I don't want to hurt you kids, so go back the way you came, and I won't have to hurt you."

'Wait, this is the guy that beat Ironhide and Undertone?' Darren thought. 'He looks like he took steroids on steroids!'

"I'm not going anywhere without my father!" Gina shouted. "So beat it, you muscle mani-"

She yelped when Colossus sprinted forward and reached a large hand for her face. Centurion grabbed Colossus's face and slammed him into the floor, uprooting the metal tiles under them. Sara pulled Gina back as Darren telekinetically tore apart the metal panels on the walls and threw them into the Inhuman. Colossus grunted as he was impaled in his shoulders but he tore them our and threw a punch at Centurion. The Minicon gestalt dodged the punch, but he felt the strong rush of air from the force of the punch alone. He jumped back over to Darren and stood next to his partner.

"Gina, Sara, go to the server room. We'll handle this guy." Darren said. Gina looked at him shocked.

"What? No!" She protested. "Darren, you guys can't fight him!"

"But we can stall him. That's all we need to do." Centurion said.

Gina looked like she wanted to protest more, but Sara grabbed her hand and shook her head. Darren looked back at Sara and smiled.

"Keep her safe, okay?" He requested.

Sara nodded. "Affirmative."

She pulled Gina along the perimeter of the room, past Colossus. The Inhuman made to chase after them, but a laser blast from Darren's laser pistol hit the side of his head. He glared at the boy and cracked his neck.

"Stall me. Man, kids these days are so stupid. You've been playing hero too long little boy." Colossus said, rolling his large shoulders.

"Would you just shut up already?" Darren growled. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

"Major Patrick O'Connor, but you can call me HMH Colossus, the first of the Inhuman race of soldiers that shall guide OZ into the future." Colossus grinned. "Now, before we get started, I would like to take this fight outside. There's a lot of expensive merchandise here that my superiors don't want damaged."

Darren and Centurion didn't know what hit them as Colossus slammed a foot into the floor and propelled himself forward like a bullet. Darren had just enough time to surround his body in a shell of psionic armor as Colossus grabbed his and Centurion's heads before leaping into the ceiling of the room in a flash of blinding energy.

XXXXXX

Gina and Sara managed to reach the server room where the base's data files were stored. Gina had her android fiend access the base's systems via a physical link up with her cyber-brain and she immediately started on manipulating the base's automated defenses.

"I'm preparing to disable the facility's defensive weaponry above ground." Sara announced.

"Wait, can you make it so that they target the OZ mecha?" Gina asked.

"The turrets are based on a friend-foe system, and attack anything that doesn't have an encoded OZ IP signal," Sara explained. "I believe I can do it, but it will take some time."

"Do your best, Sara. Our friends are counting on us."

XXXXXX

"How long are the kids going to take?" Bulkhead growled, smashing his wrecking ball into the head of a Zygart and batting away a tank that was peppering his back with machine gun fire. "I'm starting to run out of juice here!"

"Just keep going for a little longer." Prowl grunted.

The burnt stocks of the corn field were littered with destroyed HS tanks and Talos. There were still enough enemy Talos to give them some trouble, but the most difficult enemy to deal with was Scorpio. Optimus was grappling with the scorpion mecha, trying to wrestle it into submission. The Zodiac Talos was moving on all gears, snapping its titanium pincers in Prime's face while its stinger fired laser blasts at Jazz.

"Why won't you just fall?" Scorpio growled, jerking his control sticks to get himself free.

Then his luck went from bad to worse as the automated turrets stopped firing on the Autobots and began shooting down the OZ forces. Scorpio saw this and slammed his fist on his monitor.

"What the hell is going on?" He shouted. "Central command, give me a report!"

" _I-I don't know sir! Someone's hacked into the defense systems and altered their programming. They'll attack anything with an OZ IP code now!"_

As if to confirm her words, two rocket launchers fired a pair of laser guided missiles at the Skorpios, hitting its armored shell. The impact jostled Scorpio in his seat and he jerked the controls hard enough to nearly break them. The Skorpios pulled itself free from Optimus and slammed the blunt side of its tail into Jazz to knock him away. Jazz rolled to his feet and stared at the OZ forces as they tried to evade the heavy fire from their own turrets.

"What the heck?" Jazz said puzzled.

"It must be Sara. She's the only one who could do something like this." Optimus said. The other Autobots smiled.

"That means they made it in!" Bumblebee cheered. "Sweet! I knew they could do it."

Prowl allowed himself a small smile as he reloaded his rifle. "I didn't think they could do it, but our chances of success have increased somewhat."

Their good mood was cut off as the roof of the barn exploded in a mighty explosion, sending pieces of wood everywhere. Optimus turned to the barn and saw a human figure landing on the ground, the man Ironhide described as the powerful esper that attacked him. To his horror, he saw Darren and Centurion fighting the man and trying not to get destroyed by his energy spheres that tore up the ground like a hurricane. Optimus winced when he saw Darren put up a TK barrier just as Colossus punched it, sending him rolling across the ground.

"No!"

XXXXXX

"No!" Gina cried as she saw her friend nearly get flattened by the Inhuman on the monitor. This man, he couldn't be an esper. No esper could've been this powerful in such a short time. "Sara, open fire on him!"

"I can't. He's no in the targeting range of the turrets." Sara said.

"So you're the mole digging around here."

Gina and Sara turned to the doorway to see a woman standing there. She was a young woman I her mid-twenties dressed in nothing but a black sleeveless t-shirt and black sweatpants. She had short burnt orange hair that reached the top of her shoulders and her eyes glowed with the same unholy energy that Colossus had. It took Gina a moment to realize that she had seen this woman before.

"Circuit Breaker?" Gina gasped.

"The name's Beller. Major Josie Beller to you brat." Beller smirked. "And I definitely remember you."

"But how? You were electrocuted by your own suit! You should be dead!"

"Well I wasn't, but not for lack of trying on your part. Because of you and your robot friends, I had to endure a year of pain recovering from that night, and looking like a damn burn victim!" Beller snarled, her eyes crackling with energy. "But now I'm a new woman, and I'm out for blood!"

Gina cursed and took out her laser pistol. "Sara, download everything that looks important and run!"

Sara's eyes widened. "But Ms. Gina-!"

"Just do it!" Gina shouted and pointed the pistol at Beller's chest.

"Oh please, little girl. You're not going to shoot me-"

She was sent crashing out into the hall by the laser beam that hit her in the sternum, hitting the wall in the opposite side. She pulled herself from the indent she made in the wall, a hole burned into her shirt, but looking completely unharmed save for a small burn in the middle of her chest. Gina fired her pistol two more times, and got the same result.

'Fine, let's play rough.' Gina thought. She unclipped her laser rifle, shooting Beller with a more powerful beam.

Beller absorbed it in a fiery glow. She stomped forward, inconvenienced but not overwhelmed, as if pushing through a pile of fresh snow. Gina saw Beller's jaw relax a bit. She increased the power into her rifle, but Beller was still not seriously affected.

'This isn't good.' Thought a now nervous Gina.

Beller ducked away from Gina's barrage with inhuman speed. She leapt aside as Gina followed, blasting only desks and computers with her weapon.

Then Beller was right there, right in front of her. She slammed her fist into Gina's face with enough force to take her head off had she not been wearing her exo-suit. Even then Gina felt the blow to her helmet, she felt her whole head go blank for a moment. Gina righted herself and gave a punch of her own that dazed Beller long enough for the girl to grab the woman by the throat.

"My turn!"

She punched Beller in the chest and sent her crashing through the wall into another room. Using her strength-enhancing suit, Gina leapt forward and punched the woman to the floor.

Beller was taking hits that would normally break bones, and she was amazed at how little it hurt. She was stronger now, more durable and resilient. Still, it wouldn't do for a little girl to lay a smackdown on her during her trial run.

Gina went to punch Beller again, but the redhead caught her fist and squeezed. Her inhuman strength was too much for the girl's protective suit and she broke the servo-armatures in the suit's hand, along with Gina's hand itself. The blonde let out a pained shriek and fell to her knees in pain with Beller looming over her.

"My turn." Snarled Beller.

She punched Gina in the face again, the blow smashing a piece of Gina's helmet off to reveal her left eye. Beller picked Gina up and threw her through the wall with no more effort than a kid would toss a softball.

XXXXXX

"Don't be a punk now kid! We're just getting started!" Colossus shouted, grinning madly with his eyes emitting blue sparks.

Centurion helped Darren to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, but I think I just had a heart attack." Darren groaned. "Ironhide wasn't kidding when he said that this guy was strong. Any ideas on how to take him?"

"I will get in close. You cover me." Centurion said. Darren smiled and nodded.

Centurion activated his boosters and lunged at Colossus, who manifested his energy halo and fired a string of spheres at him. Darren formed a force barrier around Centurion as the gestalt brought out his arm blade and slashed at his thigh. Colossus hissed at the pain, but stood strong, lashing out with a bolt of energy that blasted Centurion away. Darren fired a laser bolt at the man's face to blind him before lifting a block of solid rock and dirt over his head to slam it into Colossus. Colossus broke through the clump of earth and glared at Darren.

"It'll take more than that to bring me down!" he sneered.

He threw a punch at Darren, who was sent crashing into the ground as the blow hit his force shield. He hit the ground hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs and was defenseless as Colossus grabbed him grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up.

"Darren!" Centurion yelled.

XXXXXX

Every part of Gina's body hurt. Getting her hand broken, then thrown through a wall had paralyzed her with pain. Having never fought without the aid of her Talos, she never knew how ungodly terrible the pain of getting hit in battle hurt. She could barely move her body. But she knew that if she wanted to live, then she had to force herself to fight back. Sara had to get that information!

How was Beller still alive? Gina remembered vividly (she couldn't forget that particular sight) that Beller suffered severe electrocution from her own malfunction power suit. Something that should've either killed her on the spot or paralyzed her entire nervous system. Those powers of hers were obviously not natural, neither was her sudden revival. OZ must've done something to her, given her powers on top of a few enhancements. The same as that Colossus guy. It's something that OZ would definitely do.

Forcing her eyes open, Gina saw that she was thrown into the generator room that provided power to the entire base. She could see her only exit just a few feet away from her. If she forced herself to ignore the pain, then she could probably make it there before Beller reached her.

" _Ms. Gina-zzt-I have downloaded all the data I could acquire. I'm coming to assist you."_ Sara said through the speaker of Gina's damaged helmet.

Beller arrived, smashing through the wall with her fists, eyes glowing dangerously. Energy crackled around her, burning holes into the floor.

"S-Sara, call Darren and Annie." Gina coughed, clutching her broken hand. "Make sure they're okay. I can handle this."

"No you can't. I'm not leaving you!" Gina smiled at the urgency in the android's voice. Seems like Sara was starting to learn how to have emotions now. But Gina wasn't going to risk her life like this.

"I'll be fine. Just go and keep them safe."

Silence followed. "…I understand. And be careful Ms. Gina."

Sara cut the feed and Gina shakily stood up before a smirking Beller.

"Ready for round two bitch?"

Gina responded by pulling out another gun, a sonic weapon that she called the Screamer. It was a cone shaped device that emitted a directional high frequency alarm. An ordinary person would have lost balance, collapsed and bled from the ears, struck down with immediate hearing damage. Beller covered her ears with her hands and grimaced. She rocked from side to side for a moment.

Gina leapt forward and pulled her fist back for a blow that would kill a normal human. But she was too slow. Beller reached out and stopped Gina's fist mid-punch. She caught the girl's fist and held it tightly.

'Her eardrums should nearly be vaporized!' Gina thought. 'She shouldn't even be able to stand!'

Beller's hand tightened around Gina's right hand, rushing it like glass.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Gina used her other hand to grab her laser pistol and fire half a dozen bolts at Beller's face, ignoring the pain of her broken fingers pulling the trigger. Beller winced at the plasma bolts hitting her face, but she recovered quickly. She landed another punch that broke Gina's helmet to pieces and kicked the girl's right knee backward, instantly snapping the ligaments, destroying the cartilage and crushing the joint.

Gina's hand and leg were held together now by just the suit. She pointed her pistol at Beller's face and fired it at the highest setting, where flesh should melt from the intense heat output. Even that didn't bring Beller down, but it certainly left a mark on her face. Scarred and battered, Beller snarled through broken teeth and swung a fist directly at Gina's heart.

Gina stumbled back, coughing up blood. Her chest hurt, she couldn't feel her hands or her right leg. A blow to her shoulders sent her crashing to the floor. Gina knew she lost. How could she fight a woman whose wounds healed faster than she could deal them?

As she struggled to breathe on the floor, Beller tore a small generator out of its place, sending power cords and oil flying everywhere. She lifted the machine high above her head and approached the dying girl.

'Darren, Annie…Sureshock…Ratchet,' Gina's thought were starting to jumble as her vision went blurry. 'I'm sorry…'

Beller threw the generator on her and everything went dark.

XXXXXX

Centurion ran as fast as he could, but he knew that he wouldn't make it in time. Colossus was already trying to incinerate Darren, who was struggling to keep his barriers up. The constant pounding on his telekinetic defenses were taking their toll on his mind and body.

"Why don't you die!" Colossus growled. He was losing his composure at not getting a killing blow on a kid not even in puberty yet and the frustration was starting to get to him.

An explosion near him sent Colossus flying. Centurion and Darren turned to see Arcee running towards them, firing his blasters. Colossus avoided the second and third blasts that almost got him and cursed at the Autobot. Arcee took out her sabers and slashed at him, forcing him to duck under her flaming swords and jump away. He dodged a downward stab from one of her swords, but was left open to the right hook she threw at him. Colossus felt the punch shatter his right arm and buried him into the ground, skidding through the dirt like a living plow.

Colossus stood up, holding his broken arm and glared at her. He started charging a halo to throw at Arcee when a complication arose-a golden hammer hit him in the back, snapping his spine like a twig and discharging incredible amounts of electricity. This overcharged the halo he was creating and the two dueling energies clashed violently together, with Colossus caught in the middle. Then his body exploded in a gory display of blood and sinew that flew everywhere.

"Holy-!" Darren jumped back. Where did that come from?

" _Darren!"_ The Enyo climbed out of the barn, looking like it just walked through a live fire exercise, but still operational. Mjolnir flew back into its holster in Enyo's left arm. " _Are you alright?"_

"We're okay, Annie. Thanks for the save." Darren smiled.

In his Talos, Scorpio hissed at the death of one of their Inhumans and leaned back. With one of their powerhouses gone and their base compromised, there was nothing else he could do but sanitize the location and retreat. Pisces wouldn't be happy about that, but he could care less about what that so-called general thought.

"All units, retreat to secondary locations." Scorpio ordered, glaring at the Autobots. "This isn't over, prey. I will devour you, circuits and all."

The Skorpios walked away on its many legs, with the remaining Tlaos and HS tanks following suite. Armored transports carrying personnel drove out of another secret entrance on the double, not even giving the Autobots a second glance. Optimus ordered his men to stand down as he saw them running.

"The children have done it." Optimus said, feeling proud of them.

" _Oh yeah! Those fools aren't feelin' so hot without their fancy gadgets helping them! Right bro? Bro?"_ Annie looked down at Darren, who was staring at the barn with a look of concern. _"Darren, what's wrong?"_

"Gina and Sara should've called in by now." He said. "I hope nothing happened."

" _Relax, Darren. Gina's probably with Sara right now getting all the data we need. Soon she'll call us and-_ "

" _DARREN!"_ Sara's voice cried through the comm, making Annie jump.

"See?" Annie said smugly.

"Sara? What's wrong?" Darren asked.

" _It's Ms. Gina!"_ Sara said. She had none of her usual composure, sounding hysterical and on the verge of tears. " _She's gravely injured, Darren. We need help down here. Please!"_

Darren's heart filled with dread as his worst fears were realized.

XXXXXX

"So Colossus is dead then." Pisces sighed. Scorpio nodded as he stood in Pisces' inner sanctum, tearing at a piece of steak.

"Yeah. The Autobots' black Talos got him from behind with a giant hammer. Took him out in one strike." He grumbled. "I was busy fighting that big red robot, Optimal whatever the hell is name is."

"His name is Optimus Prime; leader of the Autobots and the one cybertronian out Queen wants alive." Pisces said. He scrolled through the notes on his computer. "But that's okay. We have enough data on the Inhumans to continue the project."

"So what's our next move?" Scorpio asked, grinning through bloodstained teeth.

Pisces looked at him, then to the bowl of red crystals sitting on is desk. Then he gave Scorpio a smile that would make the savage Zodiac proud.

"Now we go to war."


	12. Inhuman part 2

Chapter 12-Inhuman part 2

Theodore Harkins, husband to Julia Harkins and father to Gina Harkins, sat on the queen sized bed in his lavish prison cell reading one of the many books that he was given. The cell he was stuck in was made to look like a five star hotel with a bed, a bathroom with running water, a kitchen with food restocked every week, a flat screen TV and even a large monitor that showed real time images of different places around the world like an actual window.

It was a nice prison, but a prison nonetheless. One that was designed to hold people like him; an inhuman. Theo was the first of many human test subjects for Pisces' Project: Inhuman. The pain of his transformation was the worst thing he had ever felt in his life. One little crystal was all it took to rewrite his body's genetic code, upgrading him into something stronger and durable. Before his transformation, he was a reasonably toned man from all the exploring he did in his day with a faint beard and short head of gray hair, but as an Inhuman, he didn't feel his age anymore. He felt like an athlete, looked like an Olympic runner, and his powers…Gaia his powers were unreal.

And all this started when he was kidnapped on his expedition to Germania, Europa. He had just discovered an ancient Arian text that might've described something that could've changed humanity forever, but he was blindsided by his colleague, Madelyne Pryor, who took him out with some kind of psychic attack. He already had some reservations about the woman after she drafted a Karaba cell to aid them in uncovering the ship, but this proved that she was more dangerous than he thought. That woman was connected to OZ, hell she might even be a member of this accursed group. These maniacs who think they're doing the world a favor by trying to play God.

He didn't care about OZ's goals of ushering in some new golden age for humanity. All he wanted to do was get back to his family, to Julia and Gina. Gina would be thirteen going on fourteen this month. Three years of her life he missed. The mere thought of it made his eyes glow with that same power he hated so passionately. He was going to get out of here, even if he had to fight every man and woman in this hellhole.

He heard the door slide open and looked up to see Pisces walk in, a big smile on his face as if greeting an old friend. "Theo! Good morning to you! How are we doing today?"

"Same as always, Pisces," Theo said. "Visualizing your death during my breakout."

"Oh, you joker you!" Pisces chuckled. "You know that escape from here is impossible. Just relax and enjoy your stay."

"Go to hell." Theo said sternly. He knew Pisces was only acting like this to piss him off.

"I have some wonderful news today. The Inhuman project that you helped bring to light is reaching new heights. Even a basic Inhuman is now capable of handling a lone cybertronian and a group can demolish a mechanoid in minutes. Soon our war against the aliens will soon be over and our plan can get underway without incident."

Theo tried to block him out. He heard about the cybertronians, a race of alien robots that could disguise themselves as other machines at will. He read Pisces reports on their anatomy (provided by the man himself) and weaponry that he compiled from various encounters with the aliens and from past experiences on their body parts. To say that Theo was intrigued would be an understatement. There were real aliens roaming Terra in plain sight…and OZ was trying to harvest them like black market organ donors.

"Why are you telling me this? It's not like I can do anything about it." Theo huffed. "And none of this has anything to do with me. Not anymore."

Pisces grinned. "Actually, it does have something to do with you. Or more specifically your daughter."

The book snapped shut and Theo glared at Pisces. "What do you mean?"

"It has recently come to my attention that your daughter, Gina, has been in contact with the Autobots for over a year now. And from what previous reports have gathered, they hold her in high regard. Not to mention that she's fighting alongside them." Pisces glanced at the monitor on the wall, which was showing live footage of the shopping district in Zanef, Italia. "Now you must be wondering why I'm telling you this. Well, it's because one of the new Inhumans I created had an… altercation with her a few hours ago. I'm afraid it was little more than a slaughter."

Theo rushed Pisces with speed no normal human could match, but Pisces grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the floor, stomping his hand on his right arm. He struggled, but the Zodiac's strength was surprisingly greater than his own. Pisces lost his mirth as his green eyes glared into Theodore's hazel orbs.

"I'll kill you! If you did anything to my daughter…"

"I didn't do anything. And she was the one who suffered for getting in our way." Pisces said and let go of the man. "Worry not, my friend. The Autobots have wondrous technology at their disposal. I'm sure she still lives…although I doubt she'll walk on her own two feet again."

Theo threw a punch at Pisces, which the general caught with ease; to Theo's surprise, instead of hitting flesh, he felt his knuckles hit solid metal and stared into the glowing eyes of Pisces. He was wrong in his assumption of the Zodiac. They weren't human at all, they were demons. Demons in human skin.

XXXXXX

The atmosphere in the Ark was tense and wrought with a depressing air of dread. The familiar scene of the Autobots, Minicons and humans were waiting in the command room for news of their gravely injured friend harkened memories of Bumblebee's near death experience during the Stargate incident. The only difference was that the survival of their dear friend was not assured.

Arcee and Moonracer were consoling a deathly silent Darren who was sitting alongside Annie. He sat on the floor by Arcee's feet, staring ahead with a blank stare praying to some divine being that Gina was going to make it. He couldn't get the horrid image of Gina's broken, bloody body in Sara's arms out of his head. To see her on the verge of death like that would haunt him for a long time. The shock had yet to wear off, and he couldn't even bring himself to cry.

Ratchet entered the room, his face stone cold and emotionless as he addressed the Autobots. Optimus gave his old friend a sad look as he stepped forward. "Ratchet? How is Gina?"

"Gina's wounds are…severe." Ratchet took a moment to properly compose himself before continuing. "She's suffered a concussion with pieces of her skull embedded in her brain. Multiple broke bones and her hands are damaged beyond repair. Her spine is shattered in multiple places. Internal bleeding caused by punctured organs and her chest cavity has caved in on her lungs and heart. I have her on life support, but…"

Ratchet shook his head as the others tried to process his words. Gina was still clinging to life, but she was slowly fading, stuck in a dreamless sleep. Longarm explained that they couldn't really do anything or else they'd make her condition worse. Debbie advised that they couldn't take her to a human hospital without causing her condition to worsen as well. She was stuck here, unable to wake up or even operate her bodily functions without medical aid. Ratchet and Longarm didn't say it, but the same thought ran through everyone's minds. Gina was dying.

"Who did this to her?" Bumblebee asked softly. He gritted his teeth and glared at his friends. "Who the hell did this to her?"

"It was a woman." Sara appeared in the doorway, her face expressionless, but her eyes were sad. "Her name was Josie Beller."

"Circuit Breaker? But I thought she was slagged!" Ironhide growled, slamming his fist on the table.

Sara shook her head. "That was her name, and she knew Ms. Gina too. But she was different. OZ had done something to her, made her powerful and superhuman. She was stronger than any normal human or even an esper."

"Like the man that Darren and Centurion fought," Sparkplug hummed. "Colossus."

"So that guy wasn't an esper? So what was he, some living weapon?" Moonracer asked.

"Who the hell knows? Those guys are always into weird stuff." Jetfire grumbled.

"We can't let them get away with this. Those bastards need to pay!" Bumblebee yelled, standing up.

"Calm down, Bumblebee. Giving into rage will not solve matters." Optimus said calmly. "We don't know where they are even if we wanted to attack them."

"Then how about we walk out into the middle of a street or town. That should draw them out!" Bumblebee yelled a Prime. "Primus knows that they ambush us if we so much as take a leak!"

"Bumblebee, calm down now!" Prowl said. "Stop acting like a wild animal. That's not helping anyone right now. You go out there, and they'll kill you. Don't try to be a lone wolf at this point in the fight."

Bumblebee let out an obscene curse and kicked the side of the table before sitting down. Sara looked at him for a moment before speaking once more.

"I managed to download most of the vital information from the base's servers. Most of it is encrypted, so I will need time to decode it." She said and started walking away. "Until then, you will have to wait."

With nothing else to discuss, the group dispersed solemnly. Sara escorted the children and Minicons to the med bay, while Optimus made to go to the Ark's computer room to formulate a plan, something to occupy his mind. But he saw Ratchet leaning against the wall staring down at his hands.

"It's hard, Optimus," He muttered. "It's difficult to see that bright, smart young girl look like one of my worst patients after a Decepticon siege. I have all the medical knowledge a bot can have, and I can't do a damn thing about it!"

Ratchet punched a dent in the wall and slammed his head against the tough gold metal. He closed his eyes and fell to his knees. "What good am I as a doctor if I can't save the life of someone close to me!?"

Optimus didn't say anything, choosing to silently comfort his friend in this dire time.

XXXXXX

Darren, Annie, Kevin and Penny sat in the med bay with their Minicon guardians watching a comatose Gina sleep in a cocoon of fresh bandages and casts. Penny was quietly sobbing while Kevin had an arm around her shoulders, holding her close as she cried. Sureshock and Darren stood by the little see through, pressurized capsule that Gina's bed lied in.

Gina's body lied motionless on the cot, isolated from the germ ridden outside world by a few inches of bullet proof glass in her own little self contained environment. There wasn't an inch of her body that wasn't covered in white, hiding her bruises and blood clots and broken skin and her mangled bones. The only part of her body left uncovered was her face, which had a sickly purplish bruise above her right eyebrow, and a breathing mask over her mouth and nose.

"We had to put her under to operate on her." Debbie said softly. She wanted to rant at the Autobots about dragging the kids into a warzone, but she reigned her maternal rage in for the childrens' sake. "But I don't think she can wake up even if that wasn't the case. The wounds she has…they're serious. I'm not going to lie, her chances are looking pretty slim."

"S-she's going to be okay, right?" Penny sniffled, wiping away her tears. "Ratchet won't let her die!"

"Ratchet's the best medic around here aside from Debbie. He's worked miracles before, and he can fix this." Kevin said.

'No he can't,' Darren thought. 'Not this time.'

He didn't have the heart to say that it was hopeless. No need to take away the only thing keeping her from really breaking down. But he knew that Gina wasn't going to wake up. This was the first time any of them had suffered severe casualties, the last major incident being Annie's possession by Jezebel. It was a sobering thought. A grim kick in the teeth to remind them that this was war, not a game or a spectacular adventure where they were allowed to take risks.

Darren was always afraid of a situation like this. Of either his friends or sisters becoming a casualty of the cybertronian war. Lord knows they were asking for it when they started gallivanting into battle in giant robots. But what really stung that it wasn't Megatron or his Decepticons that caused this. It was a human.

Telekinetic energy rippled around his clenched hands as he vowed to find and kill Josie Beller for hurting his friend. Heaven help her when he finds that monster!

XXXXXX

A platoon of OZ soldiers clad in black armor stood guard around a mining operation alongside a Talos team of four Zygarts. Large, clunky mining Talos called Dwarves picked up large energon crystals and deposited them into a truck. Overseeing the operation was Aquarius, who was sipping on her tea while talking to Pisces via video chat.

"I didn't think your science project would work, but somehow it exceeded expectations." Aquarius grinned. "Those Inhumans of yours may just give us the edge we need."

"I never doubted it. Of course, production of the Catalyst is time consuming, but we should be able to transform enough Inhumans to make a small army. And really, that's all that's needed."

"If that's the case, then why are you still mining energon? We have more than enough for the Headmaster project."

"Yes, but unlike you and Aries, I don't have that many Talos equipped with energy weapons. You two keep hogging Thornment for yourselves so I have to improvise when creating new weapons for myself and my company. As it is, our weapons are fine by human standards but are extremely crude compared to cybertronian technology."

Aquarius shrugged. "Aries wants her around for the first few field tests to make sure the operation if going smoothly. And to keep an eye on her. He's been riding my ass on wrapping up my dealings in your part of the country."

Pisces snorted. "Let the brute whine. If we move too fast, we risk making a crucial error that causes everything to go up in flames."

Aquarius pursed her lips and gazed at the blue crystals that had excelled their organization's technology and science by nearly half a decade. They made more progress in the last year and a half than they had in the past century. She smiled at the thought of actually being able to see their hard work amount to something.

"There's nothing wrong with taking your time, Aquarius." Pisces said. "We're making history here, and I want to savor every last minute of it."

XXXXXX

Sara sat in the Minicon quarters analyzing the stolen data she acquired from the OZ base. She had a cord extending from the back of her neck into Gina's laptop and was working her processor a mile a minute in tearing away at the cyber-defenses encasing the much needed information. To do this efficiently, she required the use of 100 percent of her cyberbrain to function, but a tiny 16th of her mind was still thinking about her ward, Gina Harkins.

That feeling she felt upon discovering her body, crushed and on the verge of death, she had never felt something like that in the century of her existence. That heart wrenching fear that took hold of her; it was not a feeling she could confess to wanting to experience again. And now that everything had passed, all that was left was that sadness and inability to accept what happened. Flashes of Gina went through her digital mind, and she thought back to her creator, her "mother". Thinking about her sent a pang of sadness through Sara's artificial heart and made her eyes sting. She wanted to cry, but had no tears to shed.

Emotions like this were alien to her. Unlike the Autobots and Minicons, she was created in a lab and granted life through a powerful drive that acted like a heart, lacking the metaphysical properties of a Spark. They were all machines but she alone liked a true heart, making her little more than a drone in their eyes. She understand it at all at first when her creator told her about the concept, but now she understood that such emotions were born from what you experienced in life. Now she wished she didn't. It hurt and it made working so much difficult.

'If this is what it's like to be human, then I would rather not have a soul at all.' Sara thought.

An alert popped up on the screen, shaking her from her reverie. Sara checked the more important documents that were highlighted.

"Project: Inhuman." She muttered. She opened the file and scanned through the document as fast as she could. She wasn't even half way done when she realized that she found something very important on her hands.

XXXXXX

"Darren."

Darren shot up in his seat next to Gina's bed, startled from his nap. The others were sleeping, and the Minicons were recharging in their quarters. He rubbed his eyes and turned to Sara.

"S-Sara? What's wrong?" He asked.

"I have discovered some important information that answers the questions about the two superhumans OZ let loose on us." Sara handed him a paper. "Project: Inhuman, a genetic research program with the goal of granting normal humans of a specific genotype superhuman abilities. This program has been active for a little over a year now and has only recently bore fruit."

Darren skimmed through the document with wide eyes before looking up at Sara. "They're making artificial espers?"

"No," She shook her head. "Inhumans born from forcing the human body to evolve past its limits."

Darren scowled and once again cursed OZ for all the trouble they've caused. As if they couldn't hit a new low, they start dabbling in genetic experiments like some supervillain group from a comic book. What else were they going to do? Try to build a base on the moon? "What else were you able to find out?"

"The project was born from the research of a scientist with clandestine connections to OZ; Dr. Stephanie Bergen."

XXXXXX

Stephanie waved goodbye to her coworker as she left the college building she worked at and lightly jogged over to the parking lot. It was late night and only two vehicles were still parked there; her car and an ambulance. She made it to her car and unlocked it, but when she made to open the door, she couldn't pull it open. Frowning, she tried to wrench it open but still made no progress.

"Come on, not now." She grumbled.

"Car troubles?"

Stephanie spun around and saw a boy walking towards her. He wore an entirely black outfit, black hoodie, black jeans, everything. She went on her guard as he stopped a foot away from her.

'Great, a mugger.' She thought with a sigh. "What do you want kid? If you're here to mug me, then make it quick. I have a seminar to prepare for tomorrow morning."

"I'm not here for your money."

"So you're here to rape me then. No offense kid, but you're a little too young to be into that." She took out a cigarette and a lighter, but jumped back when both exploded. Looking back at him, she saw the air around his fists shimmering like heat waves. "You're an esper."

"Yes, I am. And you're working with the Organization of the Zodiac," Darren glared up at her from beneath his hood, his green eyes flashing. "But you better know it as OZ."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes, now even more cautious. "How do you know that? What the hell are you? Some Karaba lackey?"

"You're coming with me. We can talk in private." Darren stepped forward, but paused when Stephanie pulled a gun on him. "Dr. Bergen, you can either come willingly or I'll take you by force."

"That's cute kid." She sneered. "But you and what army?"

The ambulance next to her car split apart and reconfigure into a tall white and red robot, who slammed his fist on top of her car, completely crushing it. Stephanie cursed and her gun was ripped from her hand by an invisible force.

"Me." Ratchet growled.

XXXXXX

Optimus did not like resorting to underhanded tactics to get things done, and he certainly didn't condone Ratchet and Darren kidnapping a woman in the middle of the night, but he knew that desperate times called for drastic measures.

He stood in the brig with their new guest along with Jazz and Prowl, standing over the surprisingly nonchalant Stephanie Bergen. Their interrogation of her was being broadcasted to the rest of the ship for all to see, but without her knowledge. If they learned anything new, then time couldn't be wasted bringing the others to speed.

"Assault, kidnapping, destruction of private property and imprisonment," Stephanie mused. "I must say, from what Pisces told me about you guys, I thought you were all a bunch of softies who thought themselves above such dirty tactics."

Optimus crossed his arms. "Considering how your research has led to three of our friends being mortally injured, one of them dying, our patience is steadily dropping."

"So let's make this easy for all of us." Prowl said. "What is Project: Inhuman?"

"Well, I don't know much about the actually program itself. I didn't really get into the specifics until they unveiled HMH Colossus, the brute that torched your friend." Stephanie said and leaned back in her chair. It was the only other thing in the room besides the metal table and her briefcase.

"Project: Inhuman was an OZ science program with the goal of granting normal humans superpowers through forced evolution." Jazz said, relaying what Sara told them beforehand. "Evidence from the files we stole points to it all being based on your research. Care to elaborate?"

Stephanie stared up at the Autobots before closing her eyes and sighing taking off her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I was a biologist working under Professor Theodore Harkins. We would travel the world uncovering ancient ruins and artifacts that humanity had yet to uncover in the past. Many of them were Arian in nature. Things were great until we discovered an ancient Arian lab of some kind, with highly detailed notes that could only be described as alien."

Prowl raised an optic ridge. "Alien?"

"Yes. The writing was definitely not human, and not cybertronian either. The first chapter provided the instructions to decoding the rest, based on universal mathematical principles. It was only that the first step was taken did we realize what we found." She looked at the briefcase in front of her with disgust. "It's a paradigm for making new humans. For upgrading them."

"Primus," Optimus grunted, narrowing his eyes in a hard glare that actually made Stephanie pause. "And it was at this point that OZ scouted you two?"

"Yes, about a year and a half after we made that discovery. They said that not only would they fund our research of the tablet, but also use its information to remake humanity into a stronger species immune to all forms of terrestrial sickness and deformities. I considered the idea, but Professor Harkins was adamant about letting them learn such knowledge. He didn't trust them, and for good reason I would later learn. Actually, that was the last I saw of him after that meeting. He disappeared three years ago, and I figured that it would be in my best interests to accept their help." She continued.

"With their help, we learned that there are three main sections; the first is nearly understood-the process for making the Catalyst. The second was for locating the susceptibles, er, people with the genetic predisposition for the transformation. The third is by far the largest, specific instructions for improving humans." A dark look crossed her eyes. "OZ abandoned the instructions half way through to make their own tests after seeing how long it took to completely decode the first part. They applied the Catalyst to thousand of prisoners, who were traitors, spies or people who just pissed them off on a bad day. From the survivors, they derived blood tests that could identify the gene and then used that on their personnel to locate potential Inhuman recruits. Their final test looks for all the markers they've found. If there's a single positive match, they return to the original paradigm and activate them."

The three Autobots stared down at her with no small amount of disgust. OZ had been act this game for a long time, and had long since abandoned their morals and ethics for the sake of their so-called "goal". They knew they were willing to go to great lengths to achieve their dream, but this was unreal. They were heartless.

"This Catalyst," Optimus began after an uncomfortable silence. "What is it exactly?"

Stephanie took out a key and unlocked her briefcase before opening it. Inside was a pressurized bowl filled to the brim with bright red crystals, each one no bigger than a diamond ring. Prowl ran a thermal scan over them and noted that they radiated an intense heat that was enough to burn through skin and bone.

"This is the Catalyst. They call it "Femto". It's a crystalline compound generated in a process somewhat analogous to fermentation. In other words, it matures over time. It can't just be magicked out of thin air."

"And all you have to do is stick that on the right humans and it'll give them fancy powers?" Jazz asked.

"In general terms, yes. For most it takes only one. Three at maximum. But there are some special subjects who have shown the potential to become more powerful than the stark majority. People like Colossus. Those special powerhouses are called Ubers." She explained. "And they're OZ's trump car against your kind."

The implications were clear. The Inhumans were essentially living weapons to be used against OZ's enemies, most notably the cybertronians. With this power, OZ had the ability to create an army of powerful transhumans from their already significant ranks. Just one of two of those Ubers could decimate their ranks alone, not to mention allow OZ to steamroll conventional world militaries.

"How many people have they already transformed?" Optimus inquired.

Stephanie shrugged. "By the time you guys stormed their base, they've already created around two dozen Inhuman soldiers, and more are being made as we speak."

"Wonderful, they're making an army of mass destruction and we don't even know where to find them." Jazz sighed.

Stephanie, for some reason she could not fathom, decided to throw the Autobots a bone. "If it's any consolation, I've done some snooping and saw that a lot of their supply of Femto was being shipped from a town named Springfield. The main plant where the Catalyst is being made is likely there, fermenting new crystals every day. Destroy that and all they have is what they've managed to stockpile."

"Why are you bothering to tell us this?" Prowl asked.

"Despite my bitchy attitude, I regret how things got out of hand. I didn't mean for my research to turn out like this. I just wanted to help people. OZ abused my discovery, and turned it into a weapon, so this is my way of sticking it to them."

Optimus nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Bergen. Prowl, Jazz, we're leaving."

As the Prime's lieutenants shuffled out of the room, Stephanie chose to leave some parting words for Optimus. "Prime?"

"Yes?"

"When you kill those assholes, make it slow. They'll most certainly show you the same courtesy."

XXXXXX

Later on, the Autobots were assembled in the command center. They were crowded around Wheeljack as he went over the coordinates where Springfield was located. Going over possible OZ locations with Sara, he quickly deduced that Stephanie's info was accurate.

"It checks out," Wheeljack confirmed. "There is an OZ base in Springfield, the largest one we've discovered. They built it under the town about a month after the community's economy crashed and all the people moved away. It's the perfect cover to hide where no one would think to look save for a few lost stragglers and tourists."

"Don't wanna know what happens to the poor bastards that stumble on that hellhole." Jetfire muttered.

Optimus shared a look with Prowl before turning to address his team. "Autobots, I don't think I need to say how much more dangerous OZ has become with this new development. The introduction of the Inhumans could change the face of human warfare and upset the status quo. If they set such an army on the people of Terra, they'll burn this world ten times over. That's not to mention the danger they pose to all cybertronian life on this planet. So I come to you with our plan of attack. We assault Springfield with everything we've got. We need to nip this threat at the source before it can grow into a problem too out of control. So I ask you, my friends and comrades, are you up for the task?"

They Autobots only needed a second to think before they started stepping forward to show their support.

"I'm in, Optimus." Bumblebee said. "For Gina."

Moonracer and Arcee did so as well. "We're in as well."

"Same here boss bot!" Jazz smiled.

Ironhide slammed his fists together. "Time for some payback!"

"We're all going to die." Jetfire groaned.

"Here's to that!" Wheeljack cheered.

Optimus didn't see Ratchet in the room and figured the medic was spending some time by himself. The doctor was distraught enough after working on Gina and the Prime figured it was best that he stayed behind.

"Sparkplug," He said to the Minicon. "Can we count on the Minicons' aid in this?"

Sparplug nodded. "It's us or them, Prime. You don't need to ask."

"Thank you, friend. The rest of you, rest up and prepare. We move out in two days."

XXXXXX

Stephanie sat in her cell smoking a cigarette she had in her coat pocket. She wondered if they were going to kill her to ensure that she stayed quiet. She hoped they would; she basically gave a terrorist organization a weapon that could destabilize human society as they knew it. But that cynical part of her knew that wasn't going to happen. Nothing ever went her way, not now and not back then. She looked up as the door slid open and saw the white mech from before who smashed her car-Ratchet.

"Have you finally come to execute me?" Stephanie asked, puffing out a cloud of smoke.

"You don't deserve the mercy." Ratchet sneered. "Earlier you said that OZ approached you and professor Harkins about the formula. Where is he?"

Stephanie shrugged, her eyes looking sad. "I don't know. The guys who spoke to us were very good at hiding their emotions. I didn't even know he disappeared until a few months after the news came. Knowing those bozos, they probably had him killed before coming back to me."

Ratchet scowled. "You should know that one of your little science projects fatally wounded his only daughter, Gina. She's dying now because of the monsters you made."

The doctor's face went cold and drained of color, but Ratchet missed it as he turned his back on her. Struggling to find her words, Stephanie quickly called him back. "W-wait, I can help her!"

Ratchet paused and glared at her. "Don't play games with me!"

"I'm not lying. Josie Beller was a cripple with second degree burns before she was transformed. If the Catalyst could heal her to full health, then it could heal Gina as well."

"But…Gina's dying! She's suffering from a concussion and internal bleeding, and possibly has brain damage. And you're saying that your magical solution can help her?" Ratchet gritted his teeth. "What if it doesn't work? We don't have time to test her!"

"It's a chance you'll have to take. If she dies…" Stephanie sighed. "If she dies, you're free to kill me too. A life for a life. It's the least I deserve for unleashing such a terrible monstrosity on the world."

Ratchet said nothing, glancing at the bowl of glowing red crystals sparkling in the dim light of the cell.

XXXXXX

"You can't be serious!" Penny yelled. "You want to turn Gina into one of those monsters?!"

"It's either that of let her die slowly, and I'm not about to let her go now." Ratchet said. He was conversing with the children and their Minicons. He had just told them of his plan to infuse the Femto crystal into Gina's body to save her life, and their reactions were as varied as he expected.

"This is nuts. We don't even know what happens to her if she doesn't accept that crystal thingy!" Penny countered.

"She'll die if we don't do anything." Annie said.

"Then let's put this into a vote among us, Gina's closest friends." High Wire said. He turned to the children. "It's your decision, as humans and as her friends."

"So, all in favor?" Grindor asked.

Annie raised her hand. "I'm not losing my best friend to something like this."

"I can't," Penny shook her head, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry, but I can't take that chance with her life."

"Go for it." Kevin said, surprising Penny.

"W-what? Kevin!"

"Sprry, Penny, but it's a 50/50 choice right now." He said. "If we hesitate, she dies. If we're wrong and her body rejects the Femto, she dies. Best case scenario she gets completely healed and lives to see another sunrise."

Everyone turned to Darren. He was sitting next to Sureshock, neither having said a word in the past few hours upon returning to the med bay. Annie placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Darren?" She said in a rare soft tone.

Darren took a deep breath and looked at his friends with eyes as hard as jade. "I'm in."

The moments after the vote were agonizingly slow. Penny dragged Kevin home, unable to stand to be in the same room as the people who were going to possibly kill her rival and friend. Sureshock went back to Gina's house, using a holomatter to fill in for the girl so that her other didn't get suspicious. Grindor and High Wire remained with the twins for moral support.

Ratchet and the twins stood by Gina's bed. The brother and sister pair were holding each other's hands tightly as the medic took out one of the Femto crystals and slowly held it near Gina's forehead. Darren held a hand up to pause before walking over to Gina and grabbed her cast encased hand gently.

"Gina? I don't know if you can hear me, but I just want to say we're going to make you better again." Darren whispered to her. "It's unconventional, and it will hurt a lot, but I need you to stay strong one last time for me and everyone else. Please, hang in there. We all love you and hope this will fix everything."

He backed away and nodded to Ratchet, who leaned down and pressed the crystal to Gina' forehead. "Administering the Catalyst."

The Femto crystal sat on Gina's forehead, still radiating a faint aura of heat. It didn't take long for the effects to take hold. Her eyes snapped open and she started convulsing and trashing around violently. The others stared in horror as the Catalyst started to burn into her skin, literally sinking into her head as her veins began to bulge underneath her skin and she started to wheeze and groan.

"What's happening?" Annie asked, scared out of her mind.

"I-I don't know," Ratchet stammered. "But her heart rate is increasing, along with her blood pressure!"

Darren watched with horrified fascination as sickly crimson, almost black blood was coughed, almost vomited, from her mouth. More fluids leaked from her nose and even her eyes. The last few seconds of her seizure had Gina's deteriorating body turn towards Darren, as if wanting to see him one last time before she finally went sill and dropped back onto the bed. Her head fell to the side, eyes wide and crying thin, bloody tears as she stared up at Darren blankly. A red hole had been burned into her forehead like a diamond shaped brand had been seared into her skull, the only remnants of the unnatural crystal that had caused all this.

No one bothered to check her vitals, as her they all heard that tell-tale dull beep drone one for an eternity. Ratchet had attempted to resuscitate her, but it was for naught. Their gambled had failed immensely and Gina paid for it the most. They had failed, and Gina was dead.

XXXXXXX

Springfield, Montana was once a little town located near a coal mine that provided the settlement its daily income. The thousands of tons of hephaestium and other ore were mined from the nearby quarry and that alone kept the town above water in terms of economy and workers looking for jobs. But when the flow of hephaestium stopped abruptly, and mining for any other ore started becoming too dangerous a hassle to continue, the quarry shut down, and Springfield's economy took a nose dive. Eventually, people began to move away once the shops and businesses started closing, and within a year Springfield had become a ghost town.

Which made it an ideal place for OZ to set up shop. They essentially created a research facility under the town, and used the surrounding area for weapons testing and got most of their resources from the shutdown mine, using their exclusive mining technology to go further than those old time miners and machines could to reach the rich hephaestium veins that sat there for nearly five decades. It was here that the Inhuman program was created, and the training area for new Inhumans.

Pisces and Scorpio stood on the upper levels of a chamber laced with adamantium armor plating watching Josie Beller train with two other Inhumans in mastering their powers. The near indestructible walls were scorched and torn from the energy discharges that Pisces had labeled "distortion halos". Such discharges were generated from the eyes and named for the blue halo that forms around the Inhuman's body before releasing energy spheres that caused maximum damage via the destabilization of matter.

"You're making a lot of progress with this superhuman army of yours." Scorpio said. "With them, OZ will become the world superpower it was meant to be. The ultimate predator in this savage world."

"Indeed, though production of the Catalyst is taking much longer than I've thought. The fermentation process is delicate, too much or too little will cause the substance to spoil and become lesser value than coal." Pisces explained.

"How many Inhumans have we made so far?"

"Two battalions of 24 Inhumans."

"Only 42?"

"Half of that number is more than enough to handle a typical military garrison, infantry or mechanized, let alone handle the Autobots and Deceticons." The Zodiac of the fish constellation assured. "Beller has been breaking the new recruits in very well. And she hasn't even fully matured yet."

"Oh? So she can grow stronger?"

"Yes. In fact, she may soon evolve to be almost as powerful as Colossus."

Then the alarms started blaring as faint rumbles shook the facility, surprising the two generals. They didn't hesitate to run to the security room where the staff were hard at work at their stations.

"What is going on?" Pisces growled. One of the attendants faced and saluted him.

"Sir, Springfield is under attack!"

"By who? Who knows we're here and would dare attack us?"

One of the technicians brought up one of the surviving camera feeds and showed the last thing either Zodiac generals expected or wanted to see. It showed a familiar white jet bombarding the empty houses with laser bolts, littering whole streets of the suburban area with explosions that lit up the formerly dark town.

"An Autobot?" Scorpio hissed, hot air venting through his mouth plate.

"If that one is here, then the others aren't too far behind." Pisces scowled. He turned to the head of security. "Scramble all our forces; drones, Talos, men, I don't care! Knock that Autobot out of the sky and prepare to fortify the base! The Autobots are staging a frontal assault on us."

Scorpio was already heading for the door, seeking to finish what he started with his Skorpios. Pisces didn't need to ask where he was going, everyone knew what they needed to do. The Autobots just declared war on them, and Pisces intended to repay them in full.

XXXXXX

From their vantage point on the highway leading into Springfield, the Autobots could see the roofs of the seemingly normal houses slide open and a dozen blimp-like drones called HAVOCs rise up from them. From the megamart that was located near the center of the ton, the front part of the building also split apart to allow the long line of HS tanks to roll out into the parking lot. Zygart and Orion Talos marched and drove from the two school buildings, in which the playgrounds acted as downward sloping ramps to allow the mecha to surface.

Watching the empty town turn from a rundown ghost town into a militarized fortress hiding in plain sight made Jazz whistle in appreciation. "That's a lot of big guns."

"Ours are bigger." Optimus took out his ion cannon and pointed it at the assembled OZ forces. The other Autobots did the same, each Bot armed with their chosen Minicons partner. This was a no holds barred battle, so they couldn't skimp on the extra firepower this time around. "Autobots, attack!"

The first shots that were fired hit the enemy forces with a ferocity that caught the army off guard. It took a minute for the humans to get their act together and return fire with the tanks and Talos, trying to bring down the Autobots with a defensive barrage of kinetic rounds, HEAT shells and pulse blasts from energon powered weaponry. All it took was a few seconds for the entire town to erupt into chaos, as both sides came at each other full force.

The HAVOC drones locked onto Jetfire and chased after him, surprisingly maneuverable in the air as they fired a volley of rockets at the Autobot. Jetfire easily evaded the rockets, but he was almost knocked out of the sky when eight laser guided missiles locked onto him and tracked his flight path. He transformed and shot them all down with his particle cannon before quickly switching back to jet mode and flying higher into the air to avoid the Viper fighter jets that launched from one of the underground runways.

Optimus, Prowl and Ironhide were leading the charge towards where they thought the main focal point of the entire base was, the supermarket. Being the more armored mechs on the team, they took the most fire from the tanks on the front line, getting in close before shooting them down to disable them. Eventually the tanks fell back to allow the Talos to take center stage, firing their plasma rifles and artillery cannons at the invading Autobots. Jazz, Arcee and Bumblebee attacked from the east and west, shooting at the Orion mecha tanks that were firing shoulder mounted two barreled laser cannons at them.

Bumblebee grunted as he was hit in the shoulder and fired his solar agitator at an Orion's head, destroying the unit's only camera sight. A Zygart jumped behind him and pointed its rifle at his head, but the unit was destroyed when a bullet tore into its head and upper shoulders, nearly taking out the reactor mounted on its back. Moonracer's head popped up over a small house.

"Bee, watch your back." She warned him.

"I know!" Bumblebee grumbled and charged a Zygart, grabbing its arm before tearing it off and beating the chest with it. He kicked it to the ground and stomped on the cockpit one more time to jumble the pilot. "Just focus on taking out the guys in the back."

Moonracer frowned, but she got back to work anyway, shooting her custom rifle at any far off units in Prime and Ironhide's path. Her sister and Jazz were carving a path along the western streets, and Wheeljack and Bulkhead were causing havoc on the southeastern front. The engineer wasted no time in testing out his variable grenades (he had no idea what they did as he hadn't tested them yet, but Moonracer was sure that those OZ pilots certainly found the answer to that question).

Back inside the base, Beller was watching the monitor with a bestial growl. "Finally. Time for some payback."

She made to head outside, but Pisces stopped her. "No, you stay here."

"What? But I can help!" She shouted. "I can take those damn robots!"

"Captain Sankt will lead the charge against them once they get too close for our forces. You and three other Inhumans will guard the production plant." He instructed her. "If the plant is destroyed, then four years worth of research and sacrifice will be rendered null and void. You'll have your revenge soon enough."

Beller snarled, but she followed his orders and left the room for the Forge. Pisces pressed the intercom. "Scorpio, roll out the welcome mat."

XXXXXX

Scorpio could barely hide his sadistic glee as his tall body sat in the cockpit of his personalized Talos, the Skorpios. He ran out of the main entrance point, forcing the mecha standing guard to split apart for his large machine. He didn't waste a minute as he targeted the Autobots closest to his position and fired the Skorpios' laser stinger tail and his pincer rocket launchers.

Prowl took the brunt of the laser blast that was meant for Optimus, getting hit in his chest and hit the ground hard. Optimus and Ironhide were peppered with rockets that bathed them in flames as the street exploded around them. Scorpio spun his machine around and unleashed three concentrated laser blasts on Bulkhead and Wheejack from the side cannons on his Talos' armored carapace. Bulkhead took the brunt of the assault for his friend, getting terrible burns on his arm and chest.

"This guy's picking us off!" Bulkhead shouted.

Optimus looked to their only aerial support. "Jetfire, take him out!"

Jetfire tore apart the last HAVOC drone with his bayonet and transformed, firing two heat seekers at Scorpio. The Skorpios aimed its tail skyward and fired its laser at the projectiles, shooting them down before they could even reach him. He wasn't expecting Jetfire to fly straight at him and transform mid-flight. Scorpio fired his laser and hit Jetfire's shoulder, but the Autobot shot the ground in front of the scorpion mecha, blinding the general. He followed up with a quick boost to get in close to it and severed the Skorpios' tail with his bayonet in a swift motion before flying out of the unit's grasping pincers.

"You filthy machine!" Scorpio snarled. He called his field commander. "Sankt, send in your forces!"

Arcee and Moonracer were skillfully cutting down the Zygarts that came at them with long swords laced with energy fields, energo weapons provided by Thornment of course. They were so engaged with the enemies their size, they neglected to notice the three men in black body armor running towards them until they manifested their distortion halos. Arcee saw the glow of the bright energy rings and got into action to save her sister.

"Moon, move!" Arcee pushed her sister away as a chain of energy spheres tore apart the asphalt of the street, uprooting the concrete and blasting away Arcee. She avoided the worst of the damage, but two halos tore into her left leg and exploded in her chest, sending sparks and armor garments everywhere. Moonracer watched horrified as her sister fell to the ground in a mess of leaking energon and mech fluids.

"Sis!" She cried out. Moonracer pointed her rifle at the Inhumans, but was forced to duck under a halo that manifested above her head. She fired a round that caught one of them in the chest just as he was about to let loose another halo, causing his body to explode like a bomb before his comrades.

The surviving two Inhumans let out curses at the death of their squad leader and prepared to kill Moonracer when one of them was doused in a stream of liquid nitrogen, freezing him instantly from the inside out. Jazz leapt over a house and stomped on the frozen soldier, shattering him like glass. The last soldier punched Jazz in his leg, denting the armor and nearly damaging the skeletal servo underneath, but Moonracer took him out with an explosive round that blew him apart.

Optimus and Prowl looked around and saw distortion halos blossoming all over the town. Inhumans were them en masse, mobilizing in teams of three. Ironhide and Bulkhead were combating a team of five, while Wheeljack dragged Bumblebee into a parking lot after the scout almost lost his legs to a surprise attack from a pair of female Inhumans.

"Primus, I didn't think they had this many Inhumans created already." Prowl breathed, hissing as Optimus welded his torn chest plate closed. "At this rate, they might overrun us by sheer firepower alone."

"We can't back out now, Prowl. We're still so close to their main headquarters." Optimus said. He noted how even though the Inhumans were capable of dealing serious damage to them, they weren't initiating prolonged conflicts. In fact, it seemed they were trying to finish the fight as fast as possible. "If they're sending them out, then it means that they're desperate. And they can't use their powers for too long."

Prowl noticed this as well and decided to continue with the plan. "Autobots, pair up and storm the market! Don't let them overwhelm you. Lethal force is authorized."

The Autobots, damaged and tired, but not out of the game yet, paired up and continued towards the supermarket. Jetfire swooped in for air support, firing his cannons to scatter the ground forces while also evading the trio of Vipers on his tail. He led his bogeys around and around before converting to robot mode and hitting his boosters in reverse, propelling himself past his pursuers and shooting them down from behind. It was a typical Seeker fake out, but Jetfire liked using it nonetheless. However his victory was short lived as a ring of spheres exploded around him, almost knocking him out of the sky.

"Son of a…!" Jetfire righted himself and transformed again to gain some speed on the aerial fire he was taking.

Inside an attack helicopter, Lieutenant Sankt was watching the Autobot like a hawk. Distortion halos were limited to line of sight deployment, and thus were tricky to use against fast moving targets. But Sankt had just about as much training in his powers as Beller and O'Connor, and his eye sight was just as keen. All he needed to do was fire where the Autobot was going to be, not where he was.

He waited for Jetfire to reach above a certain checkpoint he mentally marked and released his halo. A bolt of energy lashed out into the air and the spheres that laced it went off like car-sized grenades, hitting Jetfire dead center and sending him fall into a death spiral. Jetfire grunted and transformed to robot mode to slow his descent just as he crashed into the streets below.

XXXXXX

Darren, Sara and Centurion stood before the ground bridge with Annie's Enyo standing before them. Ratchet stood at the ground bridge controls looking more haggard than a mech is age should.

"Are you sure you're ready to do this?" Ratchet asked sadly. "This plan of yours could end badly, and Gina won't be the only friend we lose today."

"I know, but we have to do this. Things are going to chaotic over there, and we can use that to rattle the Zodiac's cages." Darren said.

" _We have no other choice_." Annie said through the Enyo's audio speakers. " _Those freaks started this when they hurt Gina, and now we're going to finish this once and for all."_

Ratchet looked down at his hands. They were old and worn from years of operations and transfusions and patch-ups both on and off the field. He fingered the little burn left behind by the Catalyst after he touched it. It served as a reminder of the one life he regretted most to failing. "Children, I'm so sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have talked you into doing that to Gina."

"We knew the risks, and took them willingly." Darren smiled sadly at Ratchet. "I guess we'll have to live with our mistakes now."

They had left Gina's body alone in the med bay, where they let her rest, without the other Autobots or humans know of what they had done. They weren't ready to bury her yet, and there was still the issue of deciding when to tell the others about Gina's death. Darren and Annie had their chance to cry and lament, now it was time to fight.

Sara patted Darren's shoulder. "We must go now."

Ratchet opened the ground bridge and Sara and Centurion went in first. Annie picked Darren up in her Enyo's hands and followed them.

" _So, once you're inside the base, what's next_?" Annie asked.

A dark look fell over Darren's features. "We go in and destroy the plant that gives the Inhumans their power. Then I find Beller and kill her myself!"

XXXXXX

"Sir, we're getting abnormal weather patterns in our airspace." A woman reported.

Pisces raised an eyebrow. "Abnormal how?"

"The facility is being struck by stray lightning bolts, sir. See?"

Pisces looked at the main screen and saw that there were multiple lightning bolts hitting the town, but most of them were focused on the supermarket, and even then they were hitting the Talos standing guard in the front parking lot. Pisces realized that this was no rouge act of nature, this was something else. He had the main camera pan up to where the lightning was coming from and was surprised to see it was a black Talos.

'The special Talos that Aquarius fought.' Pisces thought. He grimaced as he figured that she was the Autobots' reinforcements, an unknown Talos with an extremely powerful weapon on her side.

Then things got worse when Pisces got another update. "Sir, we've detected intruders in the main entrance hall!"

That finally got Pisces to lose is cool. "What?!"

"There are three intruders; one human, one cybertronian and another unknown mechanoid, possibly an android of some kind."

Pisces gnashed his teeth so hard that he almost broke them. He didn't think the Autobots would willingly put their human allies back into the gray after Beller tore the Harkins girl apart, but once again he underestimated the alien visitors to his detriment. Reigning in is anger, he quickly gave his orders. "Send all units to intercept the intruders and tell Beller's team to be alert. I'm heading out."

That surprised the support staff, who never knew Pisces to enter the battlefield by himself. "Sir? What for?"

"To take care of that little brat and her pet robots!" He growled.

Meanwhile, Darren, Sara and Centurion were tearing a path of devastation as they ran through the halls. Darren spared no one as he used his powers to tear up the walls and floor to attack the soldiers blocking their way, deflecting bullets and smashing them like bowling pins. He didn't care how violent he was. His heart was carved from stone.

The plan was just like the last one at the other OZ base; Darren and Centurion would seek out the production plant for the Femto crystals and destroy it using shape chargers that Liftor had given them, while Sara would hack into their systems and sabotage any defenses the base might have. It wasn't a perfect plan, as there were a lot of rooms for error, but they had little else to go on.

"Okay, we can head down here," Darren pointed down another hall that was labeled as a restricted area. "I think this is where the plant is located."

Sara was about to follow them, but something stopped her. Darren and Centurion paused when they saw their android friend suddenly freeze up and look down the other hallway.

"Sara, is something wrong?" Centurion asked.

In a rare show of unease, Sara bit her lip and gave the two an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I must attend to something else."

"Wait, what?" Darren said and stammered as Sara ran down the hall. "What the hell Sara?"

"I can't explain it, but I must do this alone!" Sara said. She elbowed a guard in the face and snatched up his assault rifle. "Go ahead without me."

They watched her disappear around a corner and stared at each other. Darren let out an annoyed huff and continued down the stairs into the underground chamber.

"Flesh or metal, I'll never understand girls." He grumbled.

XXXXXX

"What in the name of Gaia is going on here?" Theo questioned as another rumble shook his cell.

He had started the day as any other with another reading session to get his mind off the troubling news Pisces had told them two days ago. Then suddenly, nearly an hour ago, there was the sound of alarms screeching in his ears and the sound of footsteps running outside. More rumbles occurred over the next hour, and here he was trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Hey! Stop right there!" Someone shouted outside. Theo froze as he heard the sound of rapid fire machine guns firing nonstop. "I said sto-gah!"

He winced as he heard the sound of something sharp cutting into flesh and the panicked screams of the soldiers as they were utterly decimated by some powerful enemy. Soon the pained cries stopped and he heard the bolts on his adamantium cell start to unlock. He quickly stood up and faced the door, ready to confront the terrible foe that would probably try to either capture or kill him as well.

Theo certainly wasn't expecting his savior to be a little girl. She looked human, but he could see that aside from her face, her entire body was like that of a slender robot, steel gray with faintly glowing lines along her limbs and torso. Her long green hair flared behind her like soft ocean waves and her eyes were somehow dull yet expressive in their curious assessment of him.

They stared at each other for a few minutes before the robot girl decided to speak in a soft voice. "Are you…Theodore Harkins?"

"…Yes." Theo answered slowly, ready to duck and cover in case she decides to go homicidal on him like those killer robots from Gina's sci-fi comics (he made the mistake of watching one of her old horror movies and now he's afraid of her creating some killer robot army).

The girl gave a sweet smile that reminded him of Gina's face and grabbed his hand, pulling him along. "Come, it's dangerous here and I must take you to safety."

"Safety? Wait," Theo pulled his wrist from her grip. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who you are!"

Sara looked back at him and gave a sad smile. "I am Sara, and I am a friend of your daughter's."

XXXXXX

Darren and Centurion made it to the production plant where the Catalyst was being produced. It looked like an amalgamation of a purification plant that separated ore from rock, and a smelting factory. There was a giant vat of molten liquid in the middle of the large chamber with catwalks crisscrossing the upper level. There was also a conveyer belt that transported bits of the completed product into crates where they were rolled into storage containers in the other room. This was the Forge.

They barely took a step onto the catwalk before Darren had to erect a force barrier to block the twin bolts of energy that were fired at them. Two Inhumans appeared on the bridge and ran at them. Another blast caused the entire bridge to collapse, but Centurion helped Darren to the lower floor. The Inhumans descended on them, but the gestalt leapt at the two of them, grabbing the men by their necks and throwing them into the walls. Centurion was quick on his feet, leaping and jumping while firing his arm mounted mini-guns at the men. Darren ran towards the vat, but stopped when someone called out to him.

"Boy!"

He saw Josie Beller walking towards him, as healthy as the day they first met with a sick smile on her face. Energy arced from her eyes as she appraised him the same way a lion glared at its chosen prey. The look in her eyes combined with her wide grin made her look insane.

"So here we are, facing each other again. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to get back at you brats and your filthy tin cans for what you did to me!" Beller said. "After I'm done with you, I'm coming for that other little bitch before I rip those machines apart!"

Darren said nothing, only glaring at her.

"Not very talkative today, are we?" She smirked. "Still crying over your dead girlfriend? Don't worry, you can see her in hell!"

As if on cue, they charged at each other. Beller lunged at him with a punch ready to take his head off, but he ducked under her and she landed behind him. She spun around to find Darren encased in telekinetic energy like armor and took a hard punch to the face that made her step back. Darren started pummeling her with everything he had, using his powers to increase the strength of his punches and kicks. But Beller was like a sandbag, absorbing his punches like they were nothing. In the meantime, her blows were enough to stun him for several seconds.

Beller grunted as she took a backhand that broke her nose and threw a punch at Darren just as he threw one of his own. Darren's psionic fist shattered while her knuckles broke, but she healed instantly. Darren was kicked in the chest and sent crashing to the floor, the breath knocked from his lungs. She leapt into the air and launched a downward punch at him, but he quickly got into a crouch and pushed himself into her, slamming his body into hers and thy both crashed onto the upper catwalk.

She threw him off and Darren fired his laser blaster at her face, but she dodged the beams and smacked the gun from his hand. Beller then started beating him down, shattering parts of his armor with strong blows that started wearing his mental defenses down. Darren kneed her in the stomach, and tried to kick her face, but she caught his leg and landed a punch square in his face.

His psionic helmet fell apart like glass, revealing his face. He hit the ground hard, but gave her a wicked backhand that only stunned her for a second before she flipped over him and lifted him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground hard. He coughed and grunted, pushing himself up enough to launch a punch at her, but she caught his arm and started squeezing.

"Pathetic." Beller spat. "Did you really think you could beat me? Fighting someone like me is suicide boy!"

She formed a distortion halo in front of his body and he was forced to abandon his armor to avoid the powerful energy wave. He rolled across the floor and got to one knee, glaring at her. He lifted a metal panel off the ground and flung it at her fast enough that she wasn't able to dodge it. She grunted as the sharp piece of metal cut into her shoulder and collarbone, causing blood to gush everywhere.

"You're right, fighting you alone is suicide," He panted, trying to clear his head from that punch she gave him. "But it made for a great distraction."

Beller looked at him confused before her eyes widened and she spun around over to the vat. Centurion was hanging onto the large tub of molten slag and planting two bombs on it. She roared and jumped at him, but Centurion had leapt clear of the Forge just as he pressed the detonator, causing both the vat and Beller to explode spectacularly.

The explosion was strong enough to cause the whole catwalk to collapse and Darren fell to the ground. Centurion caught him in mid-air and they hit the ground in a tucked roll. Darren summoned a shield around them just as the flames washed over them and demolished the entire inner part of the chamber.

XXXXXX

Pisces was a man who lost his temper very rarely. Sure, he got annoyed, sometimes angry but never to the point of breaking valuable things or killing his subordinates on the spot. Ruling through fear only got you so far before the people stop being afraid of you and start planning your demise. But right now, at this moment, he was on the verge of going into a blind rage.

As he marched outside the confines of his base, he saw the black Talos Aquarius had told him about decimating his forces with a rain of thunderbolts tearing apart the mecha guarding the disguised supermarket. He had no idea how it was doing it, but something mounted on its arm was controlling the local weather patterns in the area, enough to create the agitated conditions of a lightning storm. Combined with the machine's impressive arsenal of energy and projectile weapons, the underequipped Zygarts were quickly destroyed, pilots and all.

As if things weren't already bad, Pisces could see that the Inhuman squadrons were losing ground against the Autobots. The Autobots weren't fighting the Inhumans up close, instead they were forcing them to use up their energy to create their distortion halos. Pisces knew that the Inhumans were powerful, but their main weakness was also their strength. Inhumans weren't invincible; the tactical advantage of their deployment only lasted as long as their stamina lasted. Once they were fatigued, they _had_ to rest or else they'd risk pushing themselves too far and cause themselves to explode from overextension of their powers. He had hoped that Sankt's men would've overpowered the Autobots before the fatigue set in, but once again he underestimated the Autobots, or more specifically Optimus Prime.

"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Pisces muttered, glaring at the black Talos. "Starting with that little pest."

As he marched out of the hangar, white lines began to appear on his skin, and smoke rose from his body as his core temperature began to rise. His eyes glowed amber, and his hair became undone. There was a reason Pisces didn't get angry. It was because when he got angry, he got stupid. When he was stupid, he made reckless, impulsive decisions. And when he started acting impulsively, people and things were destroyed and property damage went through the roof. Case in point, his esper power-an ability he dubbed as…the titan.

"Come on and get some!" Annie cackled as she took down more talos. She had already destroyed a dozen mecha and she was still ruuning on a full tank. "Man this is too easy!"

But her mirth was cut short when a bright flash of light followed by a strong energy surge manifested in the open hanger behind her. Startled, she spun around, only to see it originating near the entrance. Even through her polarized monitor she couldn't see what was causing it.

"What the hell is this?!" Annie exclaimed.

She soon got her answer as a loud, bestial roar filled the air, rattling her bones. Then from the bright light, a large, armored fist came shooting at Enyo, punching it square in the side of the head and sending the talos flying backwards. Annie screamed as she crashed into a house, jostled violently in her seat. Annie quickly regained her bearings and tried to refocus her damaged camera view, only to gasp at the giant standing above her.

The giant's appearance was humanoid, but also inhuman in various aspects. It was probably 35 feet tall. It was covered in hard white skin that looked almost like a coating of slate. Like the scales of a fish, or perhaps like armor, white plates wrapped around its body in several places. Its face too was covered in the same white plates. As a result, the giant's expression was completely unreadable. His body clad entirely in armor, this was Pisces second form-the Armored Titan.

Optimus and Jetfire saw the whole scene as Pisces brought Annie to the ground with single punch. Optimus helped Jetfire to his feet and ran to help Annie.

Pisces glared down at the talos underneath him through glass covered eyes, lifting a foot over the Enyo, pressing a foot against its chest. He growled deeply, and started pressing down harder on the Talos, slowly crushing its chest inwards and thus crushing the pilot inside. Annie tried firing his arm cannon at his face, but his armor plating deflected the laser rounds that would've torn a regular Talos to pieces.

'This is what happens to savages who get in my way!' Thought an angered Pisces. He raised a large fist and prepared to smash its face in, but he was sent stumbling back as a large, glowing orange axe caught him in the arm, burning into his armored flesh like a hot brand. He roared, venting steam through the plates around his mouth.

"That's not how you treat a lady." Optimus said, drawing his battle blade from his arm. He walked over to the Enyo and helped it up. "What are you doing here Annie?"

"Saving your ass, what else?" She replied. Optimus just stared at him until she gave him a solid answer. "Okay, I'm pulling agro for Darren, Sara and Centurion."

"For what?"

He got his answer as the left half of the supermarket blew up in a spectacular tower of flames, the blast wave actually knocking Annie, Optimus and Pisces off their feet. The immense fireball rose into the air, the thick cloud of smoke eclipsing the rising morning sun. Whistling in satisfaction, Annie turned to Optimus.

"So they can do that."

XXXXXX

When the flames finally died down, Darren released the shield around them and fell to his knees. Beside him, Centurion looked no worse for wear safe for a few scuff marks. He looked around at their surroundings, seeing that the Forge was completely destroyed, along with much of the inner chamber and had blown a hole all the way to the outside.

"It's gone," Centurion said, patting Darren's back. "All of it."

"Thank heavens." Darren breathed.

Then there was a loud shout and Centurion took an energy bolt to the chest, blasting him away from Darren and forcing him to separate back into the Street Action Team. Darren watched as his friends were scattered like autumn leaves.

"No!"

He spun around and saw Beller limping towards him. Her body was covered in slowly healing burns, her arms and left leg mangled and scorched, but those were realigning themselves as well. She was near the epicenter of the explosion, and she was still alive. Darren would've marveled at the Inhuman's regeneration ability if he wasn't at a huge disadvantage now.

"No more games. I'm done playing around with you fucking brats!" Beller snarled. "You think a freak like you and your toy robots can kill me? I am a god compared to you!"

A large pipe crashed into her body and sent her crashing into a pile of burning debris. Darren jumped back, thinking it was one of the Minicons that saved him, but as he looked at his savior, he was rendered speechless.

"Gina?"

He thought he was dreaming, or at least suffering from a mild concussion from that punch he took earlier, but the pain in his hand assured him that it was real. Gina was real. And she was alive.

She stood tall and strong, completely healed of the wounds she had before. Clad in only a thin sleeveless t-shirt that barely fit her and a pair of sweatpants, Gina looked no different from before. But she didn't have her glasses and her clear blue eyes radiated power. Gina was an Inhuman now.

"Time for round three." She said.

Beller shot up and lashed out with a wave of energy at Gina and Darren. Gina stood her ground, summoning her own distortion halo that deflected the wave with ease. She slashed her hands to part the energy and ran forward.

In a one on one match between two Inhumans, skill and prowess were the defining factors here. Gina was a newly formed Inhuman just getting the hang of her powers, while Beller had practice with hers. But the woman had used up most of her energy fighting Darren, and recovering from the explosion. Beller had the skill, but Gina still had enough juice to keep going.

Beller stumbled back as Gina leapt at her and threw a punch at the blond girl's face, intending on smashing her skull in to end this farce of a battle. But inches away from Gina's face, her fist met strong resistance, an invisible barrier. Her eyes briefly turned to Darren, whose hand was outstretched and glowing. Gina's eyes locked with hers only for a second before the girl shoved her hand through Beller's chest.

Beller coughed up a glob of blood as Gina punched through her chest cavity, right lung and spine. She grabbed Gina's neck and weakly began to squeeze. Gina wasn't affected by her grip; she saw that despite dying, Beller was moving on instinct at this point.

'So much hatred, so much loathing.' She thought. 'Enough is enough.'

Gina summoned a small distortion field and fired it. Beller's head vaporized in a ball of bulish white lightning. Her headless body collapsed onto Gina, who took her bloodied hand from her chest and threw the corpse off her. Gina took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Gina?"

She turned and saw Darren and the Miicons walk towards her slowly with wide eyes, still figuring out if she was real and alive before them, and not some sick dream. Gina had no idea what to say to her friends who thought she was dead for two days, and decided to Yolo it.

"What's wrong guys? You look like you've seen a ghost." Gina smirked.

Sureshock barreled into her for a tight hug.

XXXXXX

Seeing the Forge go up in flames, along with all of his hard work, had caused something to snap in Pisces' mind. He spun back towards Optimus and Annie and roared, shifting his attention back to Optimus and Annie and charged at them.

Optimus was quick to meet his charge with one of his own, racing forward and throwing a punch at Pisces face. The transformed Zodiac blocked it with an armor plated arm and batted Prime's hand away, launching a kick into Prime's side that sent him crashing into a building. Pisces ran forward and tried to kick Optimus once more, but Optimus grabbed his leg and, with great strength, threw the titan a couple of yards away into the parking lot, sending fake cars and asphalt everywhere from his impact. Pisces got to his knees, but Mjolnir flew in from his right and slammed into the side of his head, lightly cracking his armor.

Pisces glared at Enyo and charged at it. Annie fired a few rockets from her shoulder launcher, but the explosions didn't even dirty his pristine armor. Annie tried to recall Mjolnir, but Pisces grabbed her talos by the arms, swung it around like a Frisbee and threw the machine at Optimus. Prime grunted as he caught the Enyo in his arms, skidding back along the street from the force of the toss, and Pisces got ready to bowl both of them down.

" _Pisces!"_

The Skorpios rolled up beside him, covered in scorch marks and lost armor pieces that were blasted off by a few stray blaster bolts. Pisces paid him no mind as he glared at Optimus.

" _The battle is lost you damn fool!"_ Scorpio said. " _We have to retreat or we'll lose the few Inhumans we still have! There's no point in fighting anymore!"_

Pisces looked like he was ignoring his fellow general, but he knew that retreating was the only action they could take. He still had a good amount of Femto left, and that was enough to use sparingly on those he chose from their ranks. His large, titanic body stood straighter, losing its heated rage. Pisces glared at Optimus and the armor plates around his mouth slid open to reveal a jaw full of exposed teeth, exhaling a cloud of steam before signaling his forces to retreat.

Annie, along with the rest of the damaged Autobots were relieved to see the OZ troops pulling out with their wounded, leaving their dead behind as they drove or flew out of the war ravaged town. Pisces was the last to leave, still glaring at Prime as he ran away in long strides that quickly took him from view. One he was gone, Annie let loose a loud cheer.

"WE DID IT!" She hollered. "WE WON!"

The Autobots shared her enthusiasm, but Optimus took the time to search for Darren and the others in the wreckage. He found Darren, along with the Street Action team in the sublevel, bruised and bloodied, but still alive. But he was very surprised to see that Gina was with them as well.

Gina smiled shyly at the gaping, awestruck looks of the Autobots and waved at them. This was going to take some time to explain.

XXXXXX

The mood in the Ark was lighthearted and happy. Autobot and Minicon alike were relieved and glad to see Gina alive and well again, even more so with Ratchet and Bumblebee. The reunion between her and Theo was the best moment of the morning; father and daughter, both inhumans, were together again after three years apart.

Stephanie, who had aided Gina upon her "rebirth", explained that Gina's body had to shut down for the Catalyst to work. Though it came as a surprise to her as well, the Catalyst had to basically rewrite Gina's genetic code, remaking everything from the ground up to purge anything that it considered as an "impurity". The process itself took a day longer than the average Inhuman, and Gina still had room to grow as her powers matured. No one bothered to ask any serious questions; Gina was alive and that was all that mattered.

"What you did was incredibly dangerous, Ratchet." Optimus scolded the medic. They were talking about what happened in the privacy of Prime's office. "What if Gina had really died? What would you have done then?"

"I know, Optimus. I was well aware of the risk," Ratchet said. "But I wasn't going to stand by and watch her die. I had to do something. It's my job."

Losing Gina had scared him more than anything in his career as a medic, and few things cared him in that line of work. She wasn't some part-time assistant; she meant something more to him. She was something that he understood very little about; family. Gina was like that granddaughter he never could have, and he was proud of what she became.

"Where is Gina?" Optimus asked. "Mr. Harkins and Sara are looking for her. They're planning to go back home and explain everything to her mother."

Ratchet smiled. "She's taking care of some private business first. I suggest waiting a little bit before calling her."

XXXXXX

Darren and Gina sat atop the outer hull of the Ark, enjoying the silence. Neither child said anything as they just let the sounds of nature drown out their worries, powering down from the harrowing three days they just experienced. All they wanted was to enjoy each other's company.

"It's funny." She said.

"What is?" Darren asked.

"Today's my birthday. I'm fourteen now, and I was revived around five thirty." She hummed, eyes closed. "Does this mean I'm born again?"

"Maybe. Gaia knows that the process was just as violent as actual childbirth." Darren chuckled. Then he looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry."

Gina glanced at him. "For what?"

"For not getting you a present. I haven't gotten you anything over the past week, and the most I could give you was almost getting killed by a psychopathic superwoman."

"Well, almost dying aside, I can think of something you could give me right now." Gina smirked.

Darren blinked at her. "Really? What's that?"

Gina turned his face towards hers and pressed her lips against his in a full-on kiss. Darren's eyes grew wide before they closed and he returned the kiss. They were like that for a minute before pulling away.

"How's that for fireworks?" Darren smiled.

Gina giggled and leaned in for another kiss. Before they joined their lips together, Darren whispered one last sentence.

"Happy birthday, Gina."


	13. Armada

Chapter 13-Armada

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me now? You know I don't like surprises."

Flamewar was driving after her new partner in crime, Airachnid, who was leading her through a rocky canyon in her alt mode, a cybertronian alt mode (Airachnid hadn't the need for a terran disguise yet, and she wasn't planning on shedding her old skins yet). Things had been boring for the both of them after the failed attempt to kill Nightshade. Since that night, Flamewar had spent the better part of her month shacking with Airachnid and her hive of pilfered insecticons, repairing her body while consuming some much needed energon.

It was a sweet deal she had won herself. Sure, it wasn't all that glamorous to be living with a bunch of Shockwave's science experiments, but Airachnid made up for it. She was a femme that was quite easy on the eyes. But today, the spider-like femme was taking Flamewar on a field trip of sorts. She was keeping their destination vague and it was starting to get on the two-wheeler's nerves. She didn't like secrets being kept from her.

"That would spoil the surprise, Flamewar. I suggest being a little patient." Airachnid said coyly.

"I was never one for patience." Flamewar grumbled.

"Then this is a good time to learn."

They traveled over the rough terrain for a few more minutes before they reached a small valley on the edge of a plateau. There, Flamewar discovered Airachnid's surprise, and was honestly shocked at what she saw. It was a space ship, specifically a cybertronian ship. Flamewar couldn't tell who made it, as the design aesthetic wasn't anything she had seen from this era.

"Whose ship is that? Autobot or Decepticon?" She asked.

Airachnid smirked. "No idea. But judging from the ancient and outdated design, I guess it was built before the war. It might be a senate scout ship that was shot down for all we know."

"Must be from Sentinel Prime's regime." Flamewar pointed out. "I didn't know that bastard sent scout ships this far out into the galaxy."

"Sentinel's done a lot of slag behind closed doors. I stumbled upon this crown jewel a few days ago and went to get you. So, do you like it?"

Flamewar gave her a smile. "I love it."

They entered the valley and neared the ship, which had a name on the side of the outer hull; the Harbringer. It was a long, pointed ship silver in coloration and rusted from years of inactivity. They pulled open the doors to reveal that the inside was dark and dank, with much of the halls rusty and curled up from the humidity and moisture eroding the metal. It wasn't that big either, as they searched most of the rooms in the ship and didn't find anything useful; no weapons, no ground bridge, not even energon!

"Ugh, this place is useless." Flamewar groaned. Her voice carried throughout the dark halls even though she wasn't talking that loudly. "What the hell is this place for then if not for military expansion?"

Airachnid followed close behind, her bright magenta segmented eyes scanning every inch of their surroundings. Any energon this ship had would've gone bad without being properly processed, so it was no point in crying over spoiled oil. She shook her head as she passed a worn door that she almost missed, and stopped in front of it.

"Take a look at this."

Flamewar stopped in front door and pressed the button. The door unlocked itself and slowly slid open with a mechanical grown. The two femmes entered the room and studied their new environment. It looked like a lab, complete with a few stasis pods and equipment that were more suited towards medical operations, like a welding torch, saw, and even a stasis prod.

"This looks interesting." Flamewar hummed. She eyed the five stasis pods that were hanging on the wall and looked for a switch to turn the lights on. Airachnid already had that covered as she flipped a switch. The lights flickered on as the lids on the stasis pods slid open to reveal five tall, mannequin-like bodies sitting inside the conical pods.

"Protoforms?" Airachnid said, puzzled.

Flamewar smirked. "Blank protoforms."

XXXXXX

Moonracer sang along to a teen pop song blaring on her radio as she drove down a road near the Great Plains. It was her turn on recon duty and her holomatter (a pretty young woman with short green hair and light freckles on a chubby face) was bobbing her head up and down to the music. She was always a happy and cheerful femme to her peers, and living on this planet with her long lost sister only made her feel like she was on cloud nine.

It was hard living on Orbital Command, even though Elita-1 and the Valkyries made sure she was treated fairly and had a pleasant time on the base. But she wasn't stupid, she knew what other bots said about her. How could someone who was murdered by her own sister and spent two years wandering the desolate ruins of her homeworld while her other sister was lost in the void of space be so cheerful? Honestly, she didn't know, Moonracer didn't remember dying and she didn't want to. She just wanted to live her live protecting the people who cared for her when her sister was MIA. Who would've thought they'd run into each other after so many years?

'Life sure does work in mysterious ways.' Moonracer thought.

Suddenly, an alert from Teletran-1 interrupted her pop star sing-along, cutting the music off as it transmitted the coordinates. " **Alert: Energon signature detected.** "

"Oh really, hmm?" Moonracer's avatar grinned cattily and she sent a quick message to the Ark. "Moonracer to base, I'm checking out an energon signal."

She drove off the road and through a grassy field towards a small hill with a deep hole in it. It wouldn't have been such a strange sight had the pit not clearly been drilled all the way to the bottom. Moonracer transformed and kneeled over the pit, whistling as she saw a huge stack of energon cubes sitting at the bottom.

"Energon? Stocked and ready for take-out?" Moonracer muttered and rubbed her chin. "Looks like this is a job for Moonracer!"

She hopped inside the pit and started to slowly climb down, unaware of the hidden transmitters built into the walls of the pit. One of these transmitters she tried to use as a foothold, but her foot slipped and she lost her grip.

"Ah!" She screamed as she fell into the pit and crashed head first into the pile of cubes. She was knocked out upon impact, so she didn't get to see the transmitters in the wall of the tunnel started to glow and crackle with energy. Moonracer and the energon cubes were surrounded by an energy field that grew in intensity before they all vanished in a bright burst of light.

In seconds, they were gone, leaving only a swirling cloud of dust behind.

XXXXXX

Flamewar studied the protoforms with a keen eye, ideas already running through her head at the opportunities she was given.

Protoforms were usually born in tiny, geometrical shapes formed around a newborn Spark that would later form into a defined cybertronian. They were made of sentio metallico that was harvested from the surface of Cybertron along with the Spark. They were inseparable at birth. But blank protoforms were essentially stillborn protoforms that weren't fully formed. The Spark never matured beyond its first flash and thus burnt out, leaving behind a mold of living metal. Such lumps of metallic clay were good material for acting as blanks where cold constructed Sparks were placed, artificially grown into featureless mannequins, and stored in stasis pods. But while they were used to provide bodies for wayward Sparks, Flamewar had more sinister purposes for these protoforms.

"Clones? You're planning to make clones?" Airachnid said incredulously.

"Yes. Clones I can send en masse to kill Nightshade and the rest of her lackies." Flamewar smirked. "After all, one huntress is a threat, a whole team of them only maximizes the chances of success."

"So you say, but neither Nightshade nor Dreadwing are slouches when it comes to a battle."

"Who said I had to fight them head on? It's better to shoot your enemy in the back than risk losing your Spark fighting them directly."

Airachnid frowned and looked down at the computer in front of her. With this ship being a science/exploration vessel, it stood to reason that it was possible to make clones from the five blanks with the equipment they had on hand. The formula in the ship's files was fairly straight forward and easy enough. It certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

Flamewar laid down on the medical slab and was placed into induced stasis; the operation was something that she didn't want to be conscious for. Using her "accurate" knowledge on cybertronian anatomy and medical science, Airachnid got to work on using an energon scalpel to carve small pieces of Flamewar's Spark into little containment cells. This was the only way to properly cut into a Spark without ripping the Spark core out. She severed five fragments from Flamewar's original Spark and placed them into the blank protoforms, then injected five samples of her energon into the tubes. Airachnid waited for Flamewar to recover from her surgery before activating the magnetic coils that supercharged the stasis pods with immense amounts of electricity.

The tired Flamewar grinned as she saw the protoforms inside twitch and shake as energy flowed through their forms. This lengthy process mixed Flamewar's CNA with that of the blank genetic structure of the protoforms, molding her very essence into them. The entire operation only took a little over an hour, and soon the protoforms began to take shape.

"Beautiful." She whispered as she saw the five protoforms morph into five identical clones of herself. This was going to be a good day.

XXXXXX

Moonracer woke up with a groan and found herself stuck in an awkward position on top of a stack of energon cubes. She pushed some cubes off and sat up. When she looked around, she saw that she was sitting in some storage room of some kind. The walls were dark purple and heavily plated, and the lights were a dim violet. The aura of the whole place just screamed "death" and it made her a little uncomfortable.

"I am not in a place I'm supposed to be in." Moonracer told herself. She stood up and walked to the door, slipping out into the hallway as smoothly as possible without making too much noise. She barely took two steps before she heard voices coming down the hall. "Oh scrap!"

She quickly leapt into a corner and held her "breath" as Starscream and Knockout walked down the hall towards the storage room.

"The test went well for the most part." Knockout said. "All the energon cubes are accounted for, though some have been damaged for some reason."

"I see," Starscream nodded with a thoughtful look. "How long can we implement the warping technology?"

"No idea, there are still some more tests to run with larger objects, let alone test it with actual people." Knockout began, but Starscream cut him off with a dramatic cut of his hand.

"I don't want excuses, I want results!" He shouted. "Surely you've found something of use from that accursed golden disk!"

"As I've told you and Nightshade a thousand fragging times, Dolem technology is part mysticism, part science. I don't know enough about it to use their technology to its fullest potential without risking someone losing their head!" The medic growled. "And until the Nemesis' power supply is completely stabilized, using it for troop transportation is out of the question!"

"Then you better get to it doctor!" Starscream hissed. "Nightshade is already riding my ass on this, and I am not in the mood for her attitude!"

'The Nemesis? I'm on the Nemesis?' Moonracer thought, losing all of her previous confidence. 'Oh damn, I'm screwed! How the hell did this happen?'

Moonracer knew she had to get out of here fast before they found her. Tip toeing as quietly as possible, she tried to navigate her way around the massive warship. She was bad with huge ships like this one, she regularly got lost in Orbital Command a lot and it's become a running gag on the Ark. Trying to tell heads from tails on a Decepticon designed ship was practically impossible.

So it was only by dumb luck that Moonracer found a computer terminal around the next corner she turned. She gave a soft cheer and ran over to it with the intention of calling her friends for help (and maybe even telling them where the Decepticons' base was located). But as she looked at the console, she realized something that took the wind from her sails…she had no idea how to work it.

"I fragging hate this ship!" Moonracer raged. She never knew how to work fancy techno-doohickeys like this, and she certainly had no idea how to work Decepticon tech. So Moonracer did the only thing she could in this situation-press buttons randomly until she hit the right one and pray that no one potted her playing solitaire on their military network. It was a technique that Annie taught her once, something called Yolo.

As expected of such a strategy, it went sour not two seconds later as she accidentally set of the klaxon alarms. She cursed and got the hell out of dodge just as Thundercracker and Demolishor ran around the corner.

"What set this thing off?" Demolishor asked. Thundercracker pressed a button and shut the alarm off, frowning at the screen.

"I have no idea, but someone was trying to enter random commands into it." He said.

"Probably Search, Primus knows he does this to test out patience." Demolishor huffed.

They walked away from the console, completely missing that the ship's locator was switched on in Moonracer's tangent.

XXXXXX

Flamewar inspected her five clones from top to bottom. They were perfect, identical clones of her, alike in every way, right down to even the smallest fiber optic. Mirror images that were subservient to her, and inherited all her innate skills and reflexes. It was worth that sharp pain in her chest. She wouldn't be at one percent for some time after having a surgery like that.

"Nightshade, I've got something on the computer." Airachnid said.

Flamewar frowned and glanced at the screen. "What is it?"

"A Decepticon emergency beacon, and it's a large one." She said. "It just popped up in the Florecio Ocean."

"The Nemesis!" Flamewar grinned and turned to her clones. "All right girls, we've got ten minutes until showtime! What's your mission?"

"To annihilate Megatron and all those loyal to him." The clones chorused in unison. They even spoke at exactly the same time.

"And what's our goal?"

"To kill Arcee and prove our superiority!"

"No, our second goal."

"Total leadership of the Decepticons!"

Airachnid hummed in appreciation she studied the clones. "They're certainly obedient."

"That they are. You like them?"

"Yes, but nothing beats the original." Airachnid smirked.

The two rogues returned to the cave where Nightshade fought that insecticon bruiser on that stormy night. Airachnid stood before the cave entrance to their hive and sent out a mental command.

" _Devoted subjects, the time has come!"_ Airachnid said, summoning the almost half of the insecticon hive with her mental connection to the overgrown vermin. " _The time for the ultimate retribution_!"

The insecticons heard their queen…and they obeyed.

XXXXXX

The awakening of the insecticons did not go unnoticed. Teletran-1 had detected the strange activity and reported it.

"Still no word from Moonracer?" Arcee asked as she, Optimus and Jazz entered the room.

"No, I'm sorry." Ratchet said, his expression grim. "But you'll have to put that on hold for now. I'm picking up some seismic activity in the mid-west, and a lot of Spark signatures."

"Spark signatures?" Optimus repeated. "How many?"

"About three dozen moving rapidly across the country. I can't an ID on them, but I do have a signal on a signature with the same wavelength as Arcee."

"Flamewar, that bitch!" Arcee scowled.

"Arcee, Jazz, you're with me," Optimus said. "We need to figure out what's going on here."

XXXXXX

Flamewar watched her clones fly off on their Insecticon servants with a smile. Five assassins leading a swarm of drones to finish off Nightshade's dying Decepticons. It was something she hated to miss, but she still wasn't completely at full power yet, and she couldn't risk Nightshade getting a lucky shot in. But Flamewar was also someone who prided herself on planning ahead in case things go wrong, and she couldn't help but have slight doubts on this little operation.

"Do you think your insecticons are up to the task?" She asked. Nightshade and Dreadwing were formidable warriors, and Nightshade's total domination of the bruiser the other night was still fresh in her mind.

"Of course they are. Powerful as those Cons are, those fools can't handle a third of our overall hive." Airachnid scoffed. "Your clones just better be ready to deliver."

Flamewar huffed and was about to reply when she felt her Spark give a painful jolt, making her wince. Airachnid looked over at her in shock, thinking that it was a side effect of the cloning process, but it was something else.

"She's here!" Flamewar rasped. "Arcee!"

"Flamewar!"

Flamewar and AIrachnid jumped apart as the pink form of Arcee slammed into the ground. She charged at Flamewar, slashing away with her swords with the intent of chopping her sister into pieces of scrap. Flamewar hissed as the tip of one of her blades left a shallow cut in her bicep and she transformed to her motorcycle mode and sped away.

"Get back here!" Arcee shouted as she also transformed and pursued her sister into the forest.

Airchnid scowled and looked up to see Optimus, Jazz and Ironhide sliding down the slope over the cave mouth. Sucking her teeth, she sent a mental command to the insecticons.

" _Rear guard, defend your queen!"_

Twelve insecticons split from the main group and flew straight for the Autobots, firing laser bolts from their titanium horns. The Autobots returned fire, and the whole area erupted into chaos as the insecticons descended upon the enemies of their queen. Airachnid took their distraction to sneak away and follow after the sisters.

XXXXXX

Moonracer knew that her only salvation was finding the Nemesis' ground bridge. All ships had one of their own, and if she could find it, then she could get the hell off this boat and have Teletran pick her up.

'But I don't even know where it is!' Moonracer thought.

The femme was hiding out under the floor panels, using the energon lines circulating throughout the ship to guide her way. She had spent fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to get off the ship and had come up empty with anything that could avoid her starting a fight with a team of powerful Cons. And if she ran into Soundwave, then that was all she wrote.

Moonracer froze as she heard footsteps and looked up through the floor panels to see Nightshade walking by. She almost squeaked when the Decepticon SIC stopped right above her to answer a call.

"Yes, what is it?" She asked.

" _Lady Nightshade, we're under attack!"_ Dreadwing's voice exclaimed.

"Attack? By who-"

The ship shook and loud explosions could be heard outside. Nightshade cursed and ran down the hall, leaving Moonracer alone once again.

"What now?" Moonracer whined.

Nightshade ran onto the bridge and saw a swarm of insecticons flying around on the ship's main monitor. More explosions peppered the outer hull, and she could hear Soundwave activating the ship's auto-defenses.

"Insecticons? Where did they come from?" Nightshade asked. Then her expression turned stony as she immediately came upon an answer. "Flamewar."

Demolishor ran into the room along with the other Decepticons and briskly saluted her. "Lady Nightshade, what are your ord-"

"Demolishor, get out there and take out as many of those bugs as possible. That goes for you as well, Starscream. Take your Seekers and get to the air. Now!"

Demolishor and Starscream wasted no time, running out of the room to prepare for battle. Nightshade turned to Dreadwing and Skyquake. "You two are with me. We need to take care of any intruders that make it past the first line of defense."

"As you command." The brothers nodded.

"Soundwave, you're-"

"Operation: interference." Soundwave cut in, taking control of the proton cannons and laser arrays on the starboard side of the ship. Leader-1 led Soundwave's cassettes into the halls to man the manual turrets.

"Don't let any of those damn bugs within the ship's perimeter." Nightshade said, powerlinking with Songbird's weapon mode. "And find out where they're coming from! I'm going to tear into Flamewar with my bare hands!"

XXXXXX

Outside the ship, the island was in chaos. Insecticon drones flew around the dormant volcano the Nemesis was sitting on firing laser bolts from their pointed horns. Starscream's Seekers flew circles around the ship shooting down the bestial drones that got in their way, while Demolishor was in his tank form, powerlinked with Search as he continued to fire upon the insecticons with powerful pulse cannons. Missiles and laser bolts from the pods and cannons atop the Nemesis also aided the Cons in destroying the bugs, all controlled by Soundwave remotely.

During the confusion of battle, the five Flamewar clones all sprinted through the forest towards a hole in the ship's underside, where the giant hole from Sapientia's assault last year still sat beneath a large tarp placed over it. With infiltration skills inherited from their genetic donor, the clones jumped through the hole and split up towards different directions of the ship. Their plain was to take out the Cons from the inside, with the Seekers and Demolishor distracted fighting off the insecticon swarm, only Nightshade, Dreadwing, Skyquake, Soundwave and Knockout remained in the ship. Divide and conquer in its simplicity.

In a nearby hallway, Moonracer groaned as she heard another explosion rock the ship and knew it was time to skidaddle now. She ran out of her hiding place and sprinted down the hall, hoping to find some elevator or door that could take her outside. When she turned another corner, she ran into another unpleasant surprise.

"Flamewar?" Moonracer exclaimed.

"Moonracer," Clone 1 gaped. "What the-how are you still alive? I killed you with my bare hands!"

"News of my demise was greatly exaggerated." Moonracer said, quoting a movie she saw recently. She slowly reached behind her waist to grab her folded up sniper rifle. "But what are you doing here? I thought Nightshade fired your ass?"

"I'm here to kill everyone who pissed me off in the past." Clone 1 snarled, extending her arm blades. "And since you're here, you'll die by default!"

Clone 1 lunged forward and slashed at her little sister with her arm blades. Moonracer jogged backwards and spun her body in a twirl, unclipping her rifle and transforming it into its scythe configuration. All Clone 1 noticed was a flash of light glinting off the blade before her eyes and then she felt her right arm get sliced off. She stumbled and looked at her bleeding stump with wide eyes.

"How did you…?" Clone 1 hissed, still in shock and not feeling the pain yet.

"I'm not just a kick ass sniper girl anymore, sis." Moonracer smirked. Then her face turned grim as she spun her weapon around again. "I learned how to fight with fancy weapons as well!"

Moonracer's movements were too quick for the unprepared clone to defend against, and thus with another slash of her scythe, Moonracer cut off her leg below the knee.

"This is for Darren!"

She kicked Clone 1 in the chest, and used her sharp high heel to rip off a piece of the clone's chest plating. The clone tried to fight back, but Moonracer wouldn't give her the chance, smacking her in the face with the back of her heel hard enough to give the clone whiplash.

"This is for Arcee!"

Moonracer spun her scythe around her body and used the blade to slice off Clone 1's other arm. The clone fell to the ground, energon leaking from the various wounds she had. She tried to push herself away from her little sister, but Moonracer stabbed the blunt tip of her scythe into Clone 1's foot. Moonracer stood over her with an uncharacteristically murderous look on her face.

"And this is for me."

Moonracer raised her scythe and brought it down on the clone in one final strike.

XXXXXXX

Optimus blew the head off an insecticon with his ion cannon and flipped over another drone that tried to attack him from behind. One swipe of Prime's battle axe cut the insecticon's skull in two. Ironhide stood beside him blasting away the bugs with his arm cannons, or just punching their faces in. There was no need to aim, seeing as the insecticons were large enough targets that one barely had to waste the energy to do so.

Jazz was leap frogging the airborne insecticons, tearing off one drone's wings and having it crash into another before hopping off and shooting another drone in the face. He dropped to the ground and grappled another drone, pulling it over to Optimus, who smacked it away with the struggling body of another insecticon. It wasn't until Ironhide blew a hole into the last insecticon's chest that he realized one of their own was missing.

"Arcee?" Ironhide called out.

"She bailed on us." Jazz frowned, looking around for his friend. "And so did that freaky purple femme."

"Jazz, find Arcee." Optimus said. "She can't fight them both at once."

"Got it!" Jazz transformed to his car mode and sped off into the forest, leaving dust in his wake.

Meanwhile, in the forest, the two sisters were driving through the forest in a high speed pursuit. Flamewar was weaving through the trees, trying to avoid the laser bolts fired from the mini-guns that were deployed from Arcee's hood. Flamewar sped towards a fallen tree, using it as a ramp to fling herself into the air. Arcee sped up and transformed, ramming into her sister and crashing through a thin tree before hitting the ground. Flamewar kicked Arcee off and reached for her crossbow before she was wracked with excruciating pain in her right arm.

"Agh! What's happening?!" Flamewar grunted. Her right arm erupted in the most terrible pain she ever felt in a long time. Even she could barely stand it.

Arcee used her distraction to knee Flamewar in the face and kick her to the ground. Flamewar tried to stand up, but then she lost the feeling in one of her legs just as Arcee slammed an elbow into her back.

'The clones!' Flamewar realized. 'One them is-dying. I can feel their pain!'

Her sister sent a punch to her face and kicked her in the chin, sending her smashing through another tree. Flamewar hit the ground in a daze, her mind going blank as her entire body was in searing pain. Arcee glared own at her agonizing sister with a cold look, drawing her rapier.

"I don't know what's going on with you, but I sincerely hope that it hurts as much as it looks." Arcee said. "Whatever is happening to you, you probably deserved it."

Flamewar barely heard her sister. Her mind was assaulted by images-the flash of steel across her face, seeing her limbs get separated from her body…and Moonracer's face, standing over her with her weapon poised for a final strike. Flamewar's focus returned and she saw Arcee in the same position.

'N-no, I can't die here! I refuse to die here like this!' Flamewar thought angrily.

Arcee was about to cut Flamewar down with a sword to the skull, but two strands of thick webbing cauht her arms. Arcee yelped as she was pulled off her feet and hit a tree. Seconds later, Airachnid jumped down from the trees and landed next to Flamewar.

"You don't look so hot." Airachnid said as she picked Flamewar up.

"Reckon I look better than you." Flamewar gasped, giving a scream as she felt a searing agony burst in her chest.

"In your dreams." Airachnid said and ran deeper into the forest.

"Wait!" Arcee yelled, moving to pursue, but was knocked to the ground by an insecticon bruiser. The insecticon howled and charged at her. Arcee tore the webbing off her hands and fired her blasters at its face. The bolts were deflected off its armored carapace and it lumbered towards her unrestrained.

It was so focused on Arcee that it didn't notice Jazz leap behind it until the saboteur stabbed two knives into its head. The insecticon fell to its knees in pain, and Arcee finished it off by stabbing her swords into its chest and carving out its torso plate. Jazz whistled at the gory move and stepped towards his student.

"Cee, you okay?"

"…No, I'm not okay!" Arcee growled, gnashing her teeth hard enough to produce sparks. She gave a roar and started hacking away at the insecticon's corpse, slicing at its armored hide and bleeding head as she vented her rage on the cadaver. "Every time I get close enough to see myself in that glitch's eyes, she finds some way to escape me! She always finds some way to escape death and live to kill another day! I'm so sick of it!"

"Cee, calm down. I know you're salty, but turning the insecticon into scrap isn't going to solve anything." Jazz said, placing a hand on her arm. "Autobots don't go on murderous rampages."

"I don't care. She almost killed Darren and destroyed his family. She killed Moonracer and made my life a living hell. But she won't hurt anyone else like that if I have anything to say about it. I promised myself that she was going to die and I won't stop until I see her die myself!" Arcee glared at the bloodied insecticon corpse and kicked its head off. "The next time I see her, she'll die by my hands. No games, no cop outs, no mercy!"

Jazz silently watched Arcee march away and then looked down at the ravaged corpse. Sister killing sister, brother killing brother. When was this madness going to stop?

XXXXXX

Nightshade was furious as she saw the continuing battle outside. It took a while, but the Decepticons were managing to lessen the number of insecticons outside, but the Nemesis took a serious pounding from the swarm's attacks. Dreadwing and Skyquake did a decent job keeping insecticons from entering the ship's damaged hull, shooting the bugs down like airborne tanks. Skywarp's teleportation abilities proved to be crucial to the Seekers initial success in destroying most of the swarm. But despite this, they were still outnumbered and energon was low for them.

"How the hell did they even find this place?" Nightshade asked herself. "And Flamewar doesn't know where the island it."

She scowled at the unanswered question as she stomped through the dark halls towards the bridge. As the door slid open, she saw someone sitting in the throne-like command chair that was normally reserved for Megatron. Flamewar, looking comically small in Megatron's throne, smirked at Nightshade.

"Hello, Nightshade." Flamewar greeted her.

"Flamewar," Nightshade spat. "This must be a busy day for assassins."

"Do you like my new soldiers? This is only a third of the overall hive that Airachnid and I command. Remnants of a hive that Shockwave of all people planted on this world. This attack was only a distraction for me to get in close to you."

Nightshade drew Gandiva and pointed it at Flamewar. "All these insecticons and you chose to fight me alone?"

"Not alone." The other three clones appeared from their hiding spots, their blasters pointed at Nightshade, fingers hovering over the triggers. "We are one, and we are many."

Nightshade was honestly surprised by this, but her shock turned to mirth as she began to laugh. "Haha! This is grand, really. You actually found a way to clone yourself just to fight me? Sweetheart, you should've tried something more original. I'm insulted."

Clone 1 frowned and stood u from the throne. "I wouldn't be so jovial in your position. We have you outnumbered four to one. You're trapped in here with us."

"No, I'm not trapped in here with you. You're trapped in here with me." Nightshade grinned. "Let's face it, you are predictable, no matter how many of you there are. Chances are that the original is not even here, probably hiding away in a cave somewhere in the off chance that I kill you all-or that you might turn on each other."

"You lie!" Clone 3 yelled. "We are one and the same. Our goals mesh."

"And yet your creator is a conniving little wench too scared to face me in person." Nightshade snarled. "You morons don't even realize she sent you to die!"

Her sensible words were throwing the clones off. Confusing them. Nightshade held back a smirk.

"Even if you kill me, you're all just going to turn on each other for control. Face it," She pressed. "It's within your nature."

The will of the clones was faltering. They all looked unsure of themselves as they processed the Decepticon SIC's words. But they forced themselves to focus on the mission, one they planned to complete.

"Don't listen to her! She's trying to stall for time." Clone 4 said and raised her blaster arms. "We fire on three. 1…2…3…"

Suddenly the lights cut out, bathing the bridge in complete darkness. The clones panicked and fired their blasters, nearly hitting each other.

"What's going on?!"

"Who turned out the lights?"

"I can't see!"

"Don't shoot or we'll hit each other!"

"Wait," Clone 2 yelled. "What's that sound?"

Clone 2 was stabbed in the chest by a glowing purples energo-sword, which sliced upwards and cut her in two. The glow of the blade reflected off the left half of Soundwave's face as he charged at Clone 3, severing her blaster arms and impaling her in the chest. Clone 4 tried to shoot him in the back, but she was grabbed by the back of the neck and was thrown to the floor. She looked up and saw Nightshade standing over her, Gandiva's string pulled back, its white glow illuminating Nightshade's face.

"You may not be the original Flamewar, but I'm going to enjoy killing you all the same." She said. She released the bow and fired the arrow into Clone 4's chest, exploding the femme from the inside out.

XXXXXX

It took some searching, but Moonracer was finally able to find the shuttle bay where the ship's ground bridge was located. She learned that the console she was at earlier had a map of the ship that pointed her exactly where she needed to go. She gave an excited squeal and switched on the ground bridge portal after typing in some random coordinates in the computer.

"So long, bozos! I'm outta here!" Moonracer cheered. "But before I go…"

Moonracer pulled out a remote and pressed a button. It was a little act of naughtiness she performed while running through the ship; she planted a shape charge on the Nemesis' power core and engines. They both exploded at the same time, igniting the energon in the fuel pumps and causing a chain reaction. She grinned and jumped through the portal, which switched off just as she reached her destination in a lone field in Delpoi.

XXXXXX

Nightshade stood on the beach of Decepticon island. All around her were the remains of the insecticon swarm that they killed, their rusting bodies half buried in the wet sand, and slowly sinking into the sea. The grim scenery reflected her grim mood.

The damage the Nemesis sustained from the invasion wasn't as bad as she thought. The ship had gained only moderate damage, as it was designed to survive far worse. But most of the damage came from inside the ship; from the destroyed power core, the very heart of the Nemesis. According to surveillance footage, Flamewar's sister (of course), Moonracer, had somehow gotten into the ship and sabotaged the reactor core, hauling ass as soon as she detonated the payload. Now the warship was running on reserve power, and that meant cutting power to most parts of the ship, especially to the med bay where Megatron was still recovering.

"Lady Nightshade," Dareadwing called out. As he walked onto the beach with her, he frowned at how despondent she looked."Are you alright?"

"What do you think?" She replied bitterly. "Ever since I took command, things have been going downhill for us. Flamewar killing Barricade, the insecticon swarm, our ship taking critical damage from an Autobot infiltrator. I always told Megatron I was not cut out for leadership, and look what happened."

"My lady," Dreadwing whispered. He knew she was not one to vent out her feelings unless she was with Soundwave or Songbird, so he knew she trusted him not to breathe a word about her lamentations to anyone else. "You cannot blame yourself for the events that have transpired. In war, anything can happen."

Nightshade shook her head. "No. The fact is, Dreadwing, we're losing this little skirmish of ours. And the Autobots aren't even dealing the crippling blows most of the time."

She sighed and looked out into the ocean. "What kind of leader am I, if I can't even lead my people into battle properly?"

XXXXXX

Arcee sat alone in the rec room, solemnly staring down at her reflection in her glass of energon. The recent battle and losing her one chance at killing Flamewar still annoyed her, but most of her rage burned itself out a while ago, leaving her worn out and tired.

"Sis!"

Moonaracer ran into the room, looking like she had been driving around in a dust devil, which she had. The random ground bridge dropped her off in the middle of a rocky desert just as a dust devil started to pick up speed and she was caught in the ensuing storm. She had sand and dust everywhere!

"You would not believe the day I had!" She exclaimed. Then she noticed how worn out her big sister looked. "Um, you feelin' okay there sis?"

Arcee stared at her for a minute before standing up and walking over to her. She pulled Moonracer into a tight hug and rocked her back and forth.

"I am now."


	14. The Sound of Silence

Chapter 14-The Sound of Silence

The planet Charr was a hellish world located deep within Decepticon space. It was a planet still in the throes of primeval creation; one large spherical volcano with mountains of ash and brimstone ordered by lakes of lava. The sky was black from clouds of smoke and ash, and the sun barely showed its face to the boiling surface. The atmosphere would've burned the lungs of any organic, and even the average Cybertronian would've been hard pressed to withstand such harsh conditions.

This was a sight Ember woke up to everyday for the past three million years. Charr was her seat of power in the Decepticon Empire, a place enthralled in chaos brought about by nature. Powerful, uncontrollable and all the while self-destructive. The best descriptions of the average Decepticon.

'Once a force fighting to install a new order of the golden age, a new future,' Ember thought. 'Now the Decepticons seek to destroy, for they have nothing else to fight for. Pathetic.'

She stood in the main hall of her home; a massive castle built into the foundations of a mountain of hardened magma overlooking a lava flow. From this vantage point, Ember had a clear view of the Decepticon's orbital base hanging in Charr's orbit. Shockwave may have been given command of the Decepticons, but Ember knew she was in control while the mad scientist was playing around with his biological toys. It wasn't obvious though, as she ruled through a proxy she had in High Command, and Strika and Obsidian were none the wiser. Damn fools.

To think that Megatron had allowed a passionless one eyed drone to maintain the order on Cybertron. Half the Decepticons didn't even care about the scientist, who preferred screwing around with his private experiments than overseeing the war effort. It was only by her hand that the Decepticons avoided defeat at the hands of Elita-1's Autobots. Granted, any victory they had was voided by the events of the Fall, but even still, she had certainly led this army more efficiently than that pompous barbarian Megatron. But of course, fate has a way of giving you the finger at the most inopportune times.

"Ember."

Ember turned from the lavish view of hell itself to face one of her most loyal supporters-Immorticon. He was a tall, massive imposing mech; black and gray with a skull-like face and curved horns on top of his head. Steam vented from glowing vents along his body that radiated heat, and black wings folded on his back. He looked less like a biomechanical life form and more of a demon from hell's maw.

"Immorticon, welcome back." Ember greeted her long term ally. "How was Nijita?"

"Boring and dull, not to mention I had to waste a few Cons that ran into me." Immorticon said, puffing steam from the vents in his mouth. "But I did find more of those statue things on the planet. The natives were worshipping them it seems."

"Excellent, then we're on the right track." She smiled. "And I've also found something interesting."

She led him into her study, where a massive holo-display of a solar system hovered above them. "Shockwave has initiated a contingency plan of sorts called Regenesis," Ember explained. "According to my informant, he's altered raw energon into some new form of elemental ore and sent thirteen warheads off Cybertron."

"Cybertron? How long ago was this?" Immorticon asked.

"A long time ago, probably during the last stages of the War for Cybertron. And we've just discovered this a few days ago." Ember hummed. "Apparently, this was his answer to our energon crisis; seeding worlds with this ore that would merge with the planet's ecosystem and grow into energon."

Immorticon narrowed his eyes. "And he never thought to inform anyone about this?"

"Shockwave is surprisingly short-sighted for a mech who worships logic on his hands and knees." She chuckled. "He thinks his lack of emotion strengthens him, but in fact it hinders him as well. It makes him predictable. But enough of that nonsense." She pointed to the third planet in the display and zoomed in on it. "Shockwave has had his eye on this particular planet for a while now. One of the missiles was sent there, and this also happens to be the same world where the Ark and Nemesis crashed millions of years ago. Just recently, Thornment informed me of some juicy news this planet has as well."

Ember told him exactly what Thornment discovered and for the first time since meeting her, Immorticon's eyes widened.

"Are you serious? Those…creatures were there all along?" He asked.

"Yes, according to her new business partners. Turns out that Prime and Megatron had better luck in contacting the Dolems that we did." She frowned. "This planet has seen more action than most worlds do in a single year. I've sent a team there to locate and retrieve the special ore Shockwave planet on that world."

"Who did you send?"

Ember's smile became positively venomous as she gave her answer. "Someone who has seen the Light. My dear friend, Bludgeon."

XXXXXX

The Hypnos was not like other Decepticon vessels. While a common theme with Decepticon warships and shuttles was to inspire fear and dread, the Hypnos had an aura about it that gave off a feeling of static hopelessness and depression. It lacked the pointed spikes and dark purple color scheme, instead it had a smooth, curved construction that would make a terran surrealist artist lose his mind. The ship looked odd, but effective in battlefield conditions, but was mostly used for stealth. To a human, one would think this ship almost resembles a heart.

Bludgeon had no qualms about his ship's design. Both its design and name, Hypnos, was born from his dreams. The name from the language of the race that was native to the planet he was orbiting; the design, a leftover from his visions that plagued his mind since _that_ day. It was all a reference to his beautiful nightmares and horrific daydreams, images given to him by the true gods.

As the Hypnos hung high in Terra's orbit, Bludgeon took the time to study this world that was dragged into his people's war. Energon growing on alien worlds. Such information would've been useful to the Decepticons, who were constantly rationing their stores and drinking artificial slag that tasted like mercury. Shockwave would keep this from everyone else after going behind everyone's backs to do this. To him, logic dictated that he treat friend and foe as intellectual inferiors that cannot possibly fathom his grand schemes. That everyone was beneath him as savages who only knew how to pull a trigger. That line of thinking is what brought about the Fall of Cybertron.

He held up a tiny purple crystal that glowed in his hand. This little crystal had the power to give them the retribution they rightfully deserve. A power that could grant even the littlest scout the strength of a bruiser.

'Ore-13,' Bludgeon thought. 'Power incarnate.'

"Bludgeon, the ship's detecting multiple Ore-13 deposits under the planet's surface." Skull-grin announced. "How should we proceed?"

"Land near the largest concentration of ore-13 you can find and we'll work our way up from there." Bludgeon said. "If anyone human or cybertronian sees us, kill them with extreme prejudice."

"Yes, master."

Bludgeon turned to look back out the window. Soon, Cybertron will be reborn from the blood of the heathens who caused her death. And everyone will pay for the sins they've committed against her.

XXXXXX

 **Mytharc, Cybertron. Six million years ago.**

 _Explosions ripped across the haggard region of the region known as the Dead End. Soundwave ducked and jumped over pieces of debris and derelict buildings, trying to avoid the heavy barrages of green energy bolts being shot at him from behind. He grunted quietly as the tanker next to him exploded from a stray bolt, knocking him to the ground._

" _Get up!" Ravage yelled in his audio receptors. Like him, Ravage was also sporting burns and scratches from their pursuers. "If that bastard catches us now, it's all over!"_

 _Soundwave nodded and pushed himself to his feet, retrieving his concussion rifle as he followed Ravage down the tunnel of metal plates that were mysteriously welded together from scrap. Behind them, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were firing continuous laser bolts as the two dozen mechs that were chasing after them. The few shots that hit their mark caused the mechs to explode like low-energy bombs, but no one was screaming in pain or anger-they were all cackling madly like a group of asylum patients. The scene was made even creepier because the platoon was made up of the same person._

" _You can't run from us!" They hollered, firing their guns into the air as they chased after their quarry. "No one says no to us and gets away with it!"_

 _His name was Mitosis, an agent of the Functionists who answered directly to the Functionist Council. Soundwave ran into the mech on the street and Mistosis tried to recruit him into the Enforcers, even going as far as to use blackmail to get Soundwave to join. But a stray thought that Soundwave caught leaked his plans and a series of skirmishes led to this chase through an empty slum in Mytharc._

" _How many times to we have to shoot this guy?" Buzzsaw cawed._

" _Until we get the real one! He'll keep generating more clones otherwise!" Laserbeak said._

 _Soundwave took out one of the last three grenades he had and threw it with great accuracy at the group. The explosion killed four of Mitosis's clones and gave the pair enough time to gain some distance between them, jumping over a large trench in the ground that went down for miles and taking refuge in the remains of a church. Laserbeak and Buazzsaw landed on two of the half destroyed statues of Primus and continued firing down at the clone troopers. Their retaliating fire wasn't much against the greater numbers of Mitosis's clones, who were firing everything they had at the building. Missiles, lasers, bombs, rockets, everything Mitosis had brought with him he used against Soundwave's only line of defense._

" _This is insane. We won't last long against this kind of firepower." Ravage grumbled._

 _Soundwave tried to shoot back, but barely got a few rounds off before a rocket hit his shoulder and made him stumbled back. Seeing how outmatched he was, he turned to his three Minicons. "Ravage, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, retreat. Get as far away from this place before they storm this position."_

" _I thought you lost your insanity after gaining control of your powers." Laserbeak sneered. "We're not going anywhere."_

" _It would be counterproductive considering we've been with you this long." Ravage said. "Now put that big brain of yours to work on finding yourself an escape route…"_

 _He trailed off, sniffing the air and running over to a broken window to follow the scent. Soundwave was puzzled by this turn in behavior. "What is wrong?"_

" _I smell someone else. I smell…something I can't explain." Ravage said with narrowed eyes._

 _Outside, the one-mech army closed in on the church, still firing their weapons as they prepared the storm the building and take the runaway outlier prisoner. Mitosis was fantasizing how Steelheart was going to reward him for catching such a powerful bot. He was thinking on the lines of a chance to get a date with Refractionary before a sharp pain assaulted his mind._

" _Ow! What the frag?!" He grunted. His mind was assaulted by quick images from two clones that were suddenly dispelled at the same time putting him on alert. All he could tell from the memories he gained from them was a quick flash of steel before their heads were severed. When he felt more of his clones fall, Mitosis knew he was in deep trouble. "Scrap!"_

 _From the window, Ravage and Soundwave watched as a shadow sprinted across the courtyard, and the bright flash of the Mitosis clones being cut down in rapid succession. The original was panicking, firing his photon cannon in every direction he saw the assailant flitter past his vision. Two minutes later, he was alone in the courtyard, and scared out of his mind._

" _Where are you? Come on out and fight me like a warrior you coward!" Mitosis yelled, eyes wide and crazed. He could create more clones, but they would probably be killed before he could even hand them their weapons._

" _Coward?" A gravely voice laughed. "Who are you to call me a coward? You, who couldn't even have the courage to fight one mech by yourself."_

" _At least I don't hide like a coward!" Mitosis weakly shot back. "So come at me and fight you son of a-"_

 _Mitosis's insult was cut off as a sword blade was stabbed through the back of his head and emerged through his mouth, impaling his head in a foot long blade that sliced upward and cut his skull in half. The outlier's body fell to the ground, revealing his killer to be a tall, heavily armored mech with dark green armor and tank treads on his back. He looked like he neglected personal maintenance one too many times, as shown by his dirty, scarred armor and the lack of a lower jaw to his skull-like face. When his blazing orange eyes fell upon Soundwave, the blue mech pointed his concussion rifle in his direction._

" _Be at ease, I am your ally." He stabbed his sword into the ground and raised his hands to show he was unarmed. "I mean you no harm."_

" _Why did you help me?" Soundwave asked in his dead tone._

" _Do I need a reason? You were in trouble, and I was willing to help you. In the nick of time as well." He cocked his head. "May I inquire as to your name?"_

" _Designation: Soundwave." Soundwave answered, ignoring Ravage's urges for him to stop. "What is yours?"_

" _Bludgeon."_

 _And so began a partnership that would lead to a world of fear and misery for the young Soundwave._

XXXXXX

Soundwave woke himself up from recharge, his mind slow and dull from sleep. Another dream, another memory. He rarely felt emotions these days, rather he didn't feel emotions as strongly as he should, thanks to the unpredictable nature of his powers-hearing so enhanced that he could interpret the thoughts of others. It had been a long time since they assaulted him as badly as when he first met Ravage, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw in the Dead End all those millennia ago. Since then, he had gained enough control over his powers to avoid the onslaught of sounds and sights and smells, just as he was taught. He never thought he would have an incident like that again.

But then he met the Dolems and their Cardinals, who had riddled with pain so intense that even he couldn't stand it anymore. Now he was having these dreams of a life he long since abandoned, dreams that followed after a vivid series of images pertaining to someone he thought was long dead at this point. Soundwave didn't know what all this meant, but one thing was certain-it scared him a little bit.

In the privacy of her quarters, Soundwave told Nightshade of his dreams, who looked equally worried. "You can hear them? Even all the way out here?"

"Yes. I see images of fire and death. I hear screams and smell burning metal all around me. I see…Cybertron burning and at the heart of the chaos a powerful beast tearing the planet apart." Soundwave said.

He described what the monster looked like and Nightshade realized that it matched the description of the creature Dreadwing called Thunderwing. The same beast that had ended the War for Cybertron by damaging the planet to the point of making it unstable for life and forcing the Autobot and Decepticon armies to leave the planet.

"Are you sure you're not just having dreams? You've also mentioned having flashbacks to your time with Bludgeon." Nightshade said.

Soundwave shook his head. "No, I am hearing someone's thoughts. From what I was able to gather, they're Cybertronian, and they are here for energon."

"Autobot or Decepticon?"

"Possibly Decepticon, but I do not think they are here to make contact with us." Soundwave explained.

"Another independent faction within our ranks." Nightshade frowned, as if she didn't have enough to worry about with Flamewar and Airachnid. "Very well. I'll send a team to investigate and-"

"Negative," He said. "We are at a disadvantage with Megatron in stasis. A battle between our two forces now would only end in massive casualties and draw attention to ourselves. I suggest sending one agent to monitor them."

Nightshade knew what he was thinking and was almost afraid to ask. "Who do you think I should send?"

Soundwave was quiet for a moment before giving his answer. "Me."

XXXXXX

" _Do you believe in gods, Soundwave?"_

 _The question caught Soundwave off guard, as he was busy looking around at his new home. It was a large temple on the outskirts of Altihex, bordering an abandoned town that was devoid of life, looming over the settlements like a monolith. Bludgeon's property was extended across the entire town, and even encompassed a small section of Altihex's borders. The main temple itself was sitting atop a natural formation that made it rise high enough that you could see the Well of Allsparks at the very top._

 _Soundwave had his Minicons roam the bronze and steel gardens of twisted spires and obelisks outback while Bludgeon took him into an open room with statues of not just the Guiding Hand but of some of the more obscure gods like Logos and Autonomous Maximus sitting in a circle around a stylized mural on the floor-an eye encased in a golden pyramid staring back at the viewer._

" _Gods, Soundwave. Who do you worship?" Bludgeon waved a scarred and at the statues. "Epistemus, Solomus, Mortilus? Or maybe you pray to Logos of the Primal Order? I won't judge, he's an underrated deity anyway."_

" _No, I bow to no gods." Soundwave answered after an awkward silence. "I have no need for wasting my time bowing to mythical figures who do not have any impact on my life."_

 _Bludgeon nodded. "Of course, stupid question. My apologies. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is as worldly as I am in religious matters."_

 _Soundwave looked up at the statues. "What about you? What god do you favor?"_

" _Many gods. Those that you see here, some others that exist in name only, even the Thirteen Primes." Bludgeon shrugged. "It's hard to choose, as I worship many, but am not truly dedicated to any of them."_

 _At Soundwave's questioning look, he elaborated. "The reason I worship so many gods is to see if one of them is the being that sends me my visions. Those vivid dreams that haunt me day and night; they speak of the past, of the present and of the future. Sometimes I can barely remember them, and sometimes they come at me with such ferocity that I thought I might go insane. You know what that feels like, don't you?"_

 _Soundwave didn't answer, but he knew that Bludgeon was spot on. His enhanced senses awakened one day and drove him insane from the assault of so many sensations at the same time. It was a waking nightmare that almost drove him to suicide. It was something he never wanted to experience again._

" _It was because of these visions that I found you, Soundwave." Bludgeon continued. "I saw your face among others and I knew that you were special. An aimless mech searching for a purpose in life. Something to fight for."_

" _Something to fight for?" Soundwave repeated confused._

" _Yes, a cause. Life is not worth living unless you have something to fight for. A cause, a goal, a person you care deeply for. Something that gives your life meaning." Bludgeon's deep glowing eyes stared into Soundwave's red visor. "Do you have something like that, Soundwave? A goal to strive towards?"_

"… _No, I do not." He answered. He just lived his life as an ordinary communications officer in Kaon before he manifested his powers and was hunted by the Functionists. Between then and now, all he had been doing was working to help himself and his Minicons survive in one of the worst cities in the world. "Do you?"_

" _In a sense, yes. I am intent on finding out the origins of my visions. Be they divine message or disturbingly accurate hallucinations." Bludgeon clenched his fists. "If you are aimless in life, Soundwave, then allow me to help you on your life's journey. Together we can find meaning in our lives."_

 _Bludgeon held out his hand to Soundwave and the mech stared at it before grabbed the hand, Bludgeon's armor feeling worn and rough to the touch._

" _Together." Soundwave said._

XXXXXX

It was a simple three bot operation: Soundwave, Ravage and Laserbeak. Rumble and Frenzy were to stay behind, as they were nowhere near qualified for a recon mission like this one. They were too noisy and uncontrollable, and this mission was merely surveillance, not open combat.

The continued stream of images and sounds he was able to piece together led him to a lone exploratory dig somewhere in Texas. After taking a ground bridge to the site, he spent the next five days monitoring the humans toiling about the dirt like the animals they are, with Ravage and Laserbeak hiding away elsewhere doing their own recon missions. It was almost torture, watching these creatures strut about like they were the most important people on Terra, while privately bemoaning their worthless lives.

Soundwave resisted the urge to put them out of their misery. It was tempting to just transform and annihilate them all, give them the release they pray for every waking moment of their lives. Soundwave doubled back on his thoughts, wondering why he was thinking so sadistically. He was on edge lately, and it was showing in his mannerisms. Humans never annoyed him to the point of committing a massacre. These dreams were starting to get to him.

The bulk of his attention was focused on two humans-or what appeared to be humans. Two men working amongst the staff, middle aged, one bald and the other sporting a thick beard. Despite their outward mannerisms, and appearances, they were not humans, but facsimiles; clones created from living organisms to act as agents amongst the native populace, causing dissent for their Decepticon masters. These facsimiles, who had no minds of their own and no brainwaves for Soundwave to scan properly, replaced their originals six days ago, a day before Soundwave arrived.

For five days, Soundwave monitored every conversation they had, watched their every move. Since they arrived, they had maintained a steady flow of information back to their controller. All of which centered around a mysterious ore sample extracted from this dig.

"Our findings have been crosschecked and verified." One them said in hushed tones.

"And?" The other asked.

"It's Ore-13. We're to make out way to the rendezvous point at dusk."

"Are we being recalled?"

"No, we're," He paused to wave at a passing coworker. "We're to be briefed on the next-and final-phase of the operation. There's some…ordnance involved."

That's all he needed to hear.

XXXXXX

 _Slice and Dice were two sisters who were Bludgeon's students. He raised them from their proto-stage after they were abandoned by their proto-batch caretaker for their "monstrous" appearances as protoforms. The elder sister, Slice, was steel gray with sharp spikes running along her body and tough reinforced tires on her back and forelegs. Dice, the youngest, was a dark red two wheeler who had a barbed grill in front of her mouth that made her look like she was grinning madly all the time. Both sisters shared the same black eyes, pitch black optics that were so dark that you couldn't even see your reflection in them. Other bots would be afraid of such femmes, but Bludgeon was intrigued by these two. Whether it was their looks or their unique mannerisms, Bludgeon took them in as his wards, believing that whatever god birthed him also had the dark humor to birth these two._

 _But this mattered little to Soundwave, for what he was more worried about was their ability to kill. They were trained by Bludgeon, and thus were skilled fighters that he had trouble fairing against during their sparring matches. Bludgeon taught him his most basic (but still strong) martial arts moves, mainly techniques from Metallikato and Diffusion. When he felt Soundwave had the technique memorized, he would pit him against the sisters to see if he truly had it down. This was the training that Soundwave undergone for nearly six months now, and it was a harrowing experience. Each session would leave him lying on the floor bleeding, with Ravage pulling him towards a CR chamber to get repaired and rest up, only to continue the process the next day._

 _Ravage expressed his displeasure at seeing Soundwave torture himself with this and would repeatedly ask him why was he doing all this? What was the point? Soundwave didn't have a concrete answer, which was an answer in itself._

 _Today's session was one of his better ones. Slice and Dice would weave around him to attack from both sides, catch him off guard while he was trying to defend from two directions at once. Soundwave, armed with only a katana, would keep his distance; Slice was armed with a chained sickle and Dice was armed with a pair of attachable three bladed claws that could tear through Cybertronian armor with ease. Dice flipped over his head and slashed at his back, but he deflected the blade from his body, following up with a kick to her face and slashing at her chest. She back pedaled just in time for the tip of his sword to scratch her chest plate._

 _As his sword hit the ground, he left himself open momentarily. Slice threw her sickle at him and he ducked under it, but as the curved blade stuck itself into the wall, Slice pulled herself forward and landed a kick in the middle of his face. He hit the ground hard and earned a deep gash in the arm from Dice for his actions, but he was able to grab her arm and direct her next attack at her sister. Dice's claws cut into Slice's dominant hand, making her drop the chain, and disarm her. Soundwave then threw Dice into the ground and pointed his sword tip at Dice's head just as Slice swung her sickle towards his red visor._

" _Enough."_

 _They all froze, then got off each other to face Bludgeon directly. The scarred mech was watching the match from the shadows, his eyes glowing dangerously in the dark as he walked towards his three disciples._

" _I'm impressed Soundwave. You've done better this time, just like yesterday." He said._

 _As usual, Soundwave remained silent to Bludgeon's praise._

" _Instead of trying to match their skill, you used their techniques against each other. Redirection and submission, the two key points of Diffusion. You're learning from your mistakes."_

 _Bludgeon patted him on the back and walked back into the inner sanctum of the temple, leaving Soundwave alone with the sisters. Slice and Dice gave him hateful glares as they roughly pushed past him and followed their master. Once they were gone, Ravage padded across the room to sit at Soundwave's side._

" _I don't get why you hang out with him. He's unstable Soundwave, do you know that?" He said._

" _I do." Soundwave said curtly._

" _So why are we still hanging out with these people? Those two femmes are one witty remark away from killing all of us in our sleep."_

" _I…" Soundwave trailed off and Ravage shook his head with an annoyed sigh._

" _You're still hung up on finding that "goal" he keeps talking about? Soundwave, that's all just a lure to draw in a wayward outlier like you into his clutches." Ravage scowled and laid his head on his paws. "This place, it reeks of energon. I feel like I'm sitting in a morgue. And Bludgeon smells like death. He's killed before, a lot of people died at his hands."_

 _Soundwave still said nothing._

" _You know it too. I can see it in how you tense up whenever he gets near you. If he worries you that much, then why don't you just glimpse into his mind? See what's going on in that half dead noggin of his." The feline Minicon suggested._

 _Soundwave looked down at his companion, then stared out the stained glass window into the empty town that lay below the temple. Ravage thought he was being blown off, but seeing the faint twitches in Soundwave's facial expression told him something else. He was uncomfortable with what he was about to say. Ravage was about to tell his friend that he didn't have to answer, but Soundwave did anyway._

" _It is because I am afraid of what I will see."_

 _XXXXXX_

 _Later that night, Ravage was walking through the empty halls of the temple, his footsteps as quiet as a passing breeze. It was a late night stroll that he took because he couldn't shut himself down. No matter where he went, he always felt like something was watching him from some unknown corner, eluding his acute senses._

' _I hate this place. It's a death trap waiting to be sprung.' Ravage thought. 'Soundwave may be ignoring the danger we're in, but I'm not. Bludgeon is a psycho and I'm going to find out what his game is.'_

 _As he passed by the god statues, Ravage nearly leapt a foot into the air when he heard a horrific scream coming from one of the prayer rooms._

" _ **KKRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!**_ _"_

 _Ravage quickly hit behind a column as Slice and Dice ran down the hall and into the prayer room, shutting the door behind them. He sneaked across the room and pressed his face against the crack in the door, seeing Bludgeon thrash around on the ground in the arms of Slice._

" _Master, what's wrong?" She asked. "Please, talk to us!"_

" _The voices…I heard them again!" Bludgeon said, sounding terrified but reverent at the same time. The wavering tone in his usually calm voice unsettled Ravage deeply. "They spoke to me…whispered to my mind. Soundwave…they spoke of him as well!"_

" _What about that curr?" Dice spat in distaste. "We should just kill him and his pets-"_

" _YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!" Bludgeon roared, jumping up and slamming Dice into the wall. "The Voices speak of him, so he must have the answers I seek! He must not be harmed! If either of you touch him, heaven help you when I get my hands on you!"_

" _Y-yes master!" Dice whimpered. He was never this angry with her, and it made her hatred of Soundwave grow even more._

 _Bludgeon let her go and stumbled back onto his knees, scratching his blunt fingertips against his torn up crest and cranium. "The Voices speak of his destiny. They speak of who he will become. I must keep him, for he will lead us to the source of these Voices. If he can hear them, then can speak to them. And only then can we ascend to Paradise."_

 _Ravage silently slinked away from the door and ran back to Soundwave's room. 'Bludgeon is insane. Everyone in this hellhole is insane!'_

XXXXXX

When dusk arrived and the workers began returning to their trailers, Soundwave had Ravage follow Fleming and Markham from the shadows as they drove a jeep from the dig site to the rendezvous point. It was a few miles drive, one that took them far from any form of habitation and deeper into the rocky desert. Ravage followed them all the way to a rocky outcropping, where they abandoned their vehicle and walked another few meters before boarding a cybertronian aircraft scaled down for Minicons.

' _Laserbeak, they're on the move. Follow them!'_ Ravage messaged via signal beam. Laserbeak hopped off his perch and pursued the aircraft a fair distance so that he wasn't spotted.

He trailed the craft over a great distance, leaving behind the arid mountainous region and flying over the beginnings of a forest. Laserbeak saw the aircraft fly towards a large dormant volcano, diving towards the base and vanishing through a holomatter screen masking the secret entrance. Laserbeak knew that if he tried to go in through the front door, he'd be shot down in a heartbeat, so he hopped on a boulder and used his laser cannons to carve his own opening into the mountain.

It took some time, but he was able to shoot his way through the thick layer of stone and emerge inside the volcano's interior. But instead of a natural caldera, he was in the middle of a cavern outfitted with Cybertronian tech. It was a secret base!

'This must've been here a long time!' Laserbeak noted. Moving quickly, he flew through the cavern, recording everything he saw. There were energon stores, radar equipment, mining vehicles, and even hover crates full of some purple mineral they were digging from the bowels of the earth.

He located the facsimiles, who were in the cargo bay conversing with their masters. He landed atop a monitor and enhanced his audio to hear what they were saying. He didn't recognize who the other Cons were, but he recognized that ghoulish face that haunted him and his companions for a long time-Bludgeon.

"Fleming, Markham," Bludgeon said. "Your work is almost done. One more task remains, after which we shall return to Cybertron, and you two shall return to the oblivion from where you came."

"We understand." Fleming said blankly, devoid of emotion.

Bludgeon leaned down and handed the fake humans two small bombs. "These plasma density charges have been adapted to your use. Our scans have revealed a pocket of thermal gas close to the main survey shaft. Position them accordingly. The blast will shatter a wide area of the mantle and force an evacuation of the site and the surrounding area." The Bludgeon's eyes lit up in mirth. "At which point we will move in and remove enough of the Regenesis ore to suit our purposes."

XXXXXXX

Laserbeak sent the information back to Soundwave, who began to piece the plan together.

Bludgeon of all bots was running a mining operation here on Terra in secret. They were here for energon, or something similar to it. It must be powerful enough for them to risk conflict with the Autobots and Decepticons stationed on this world. But the question was who was funding this little operation of theirs? Someone was working within the Decepticons' ranks for their own purposes, and the last time a third faction got involved with the war, things went badly for all parties involved.

Knowing that Bludgeon was leading this operation made sense. The images, the voices, they were all coming from that psycho's mind and Soundwave was picking up his stray thoughts. It should've been impossible, considering the massive distance separating them, but Bludgeon's mind was part raging inferno, part typhoon. Uncontrollable and unpredictable. This made things very complicated. Bludgeon knew how Soundwave worked, and he was a dangerous fighter on top of it. Soundwave had not made contact with the martial arts master since he broke ranks with Bludgeon long before Megatron's sermons reached the ears of the first miners. He had to find out what his plan was, but he needed to avoid sparking an open confrontation between his team and Bludgeon's. The recent insecticon attack on the Nemesis and Autobot sabotage had placed them in a difficult position that Bludgeon would no doubt take advantage of.

Images of Nightshade flashed through his mind as he thought this. He couldn't allow her to get involved in what was likely to be a very personal mission for him.

Early next morning, before the sun even started to rise, Soundwave's "owner" Hiro left his trailer half asleep to take a shower before everyone else, with the Decepticon's alt mode in his hand. As he walked from his trailer, he saw a large shadow block out the moonlight behind him and he spun around in fear to see a giant metal bird descending on him.

Laserbeak swooped down on him, claws outstretched. He angled his body to snatch Soundwave from the human's grasp, his talons tearing a hole in the man's shirt. He wasn't afraid to be seen like this. Who would believe Hiro if he said he saw a giant robot bird steal his cassette player in the middle of the night?

As they flew over the dig site, Soundwave felt a large shockwave reverberate through the area-the plasma charges were detonating, as their destructive power was witnessed firsthand by the humans as the entire dig site exploded in a series of explosions that blossomed all over the area, a thunderous boom shattering the air. The workers ran for their lives as their trailers were caught in the chaos, and many of the men were vaporized by the intense flames.

It seemed that Bludgeon's plan was reaching its endgame. And so was Soundwave's.

XXXXXX

" _Have you ever put any thought into why you have your powers, Soundwave?"_

 _Soundwave glanced at Bludgeon as he walked out onto the balcony overlooking the desolate area. Ever since Ravage told him about what he saw, Soundwave was more wary of the master, who seemed to follow Soundwave around everywhere he went. It was starting to put him on edge, and the mad look in Bludgeon's eyes didn't help matters._

" _I do not know. I simply considered it a quirk of my design. That is how Outliers are born, just like point one percenters." Soundwave said._

" _That's a weak explanation made by people who seek to hinder or abuse your gifts. Those powers of yours, the power that all outliers are born with, are gifts from the Primal Source." Bludgeon said resolutely. "They are divine in nature, and thus they were given to you for a reason."_

" _I did not ask for this gift."_

" _One generally does not ask for a gift, Soundwave. They are given out of generosity."_

 _Soundwave shook his head and walked past Bludgeon, only to have his arm grabbed in a vice grip. "Let go."_

" _You can hear it now, can't you?" Bludgeon growled. "The voices. Now that we are close now, surely you can hear them speak to me."_

" _I do not hear any voices." Soundwave said, trying to pull his arm free._

 _Bludgeon hissed and pulled Soundwave back to stare him in the face. "Do not mock me! Don't you dare mock me! I know you've heard them speaking in whispers. Their voices fill these halls like gusts of wind. Why do you think I've kept them so empty all these years? They've led me to you, and you must have some connection to them! Why else were you gifted with your enhanced senses?"_

" _Let go of me!" Soundwave growled._

" _NO! I will not lose my only chance at learning what they're trying to tell me!" Bludgeon was hysterical at this point. "You've been here for nearly a year, you must know what they say! They've become louder since I brought you in, and I will not lose them again! TELL ME WHAT THEY ARE SAYING TO ME!"_

" _LET GO!"_

 _In a fit of anger, Soundwave punched Bludgeon in the face and pulled his arm free. When he moved to grab Bludgeon's head, he momentarily lost control of his powers in his anger and as he made contact with Bludgeon he was assaulted by a flurry of images._

 _They were images of Cybertron set aflame, titans walking amongst its cities, humanoid creatures made of stone warring amongst the remains of a golden city on a sparkling blue planet, an army of quintessons attacking Cybertron. The image that stood out to him the most was that of a black and white femme with wings of ebony flying through the wilderness. And all through this, he heard voices speaking at once-that familiar sensation of being overwhelmed by the voices of thousands, their cheers, their cries, their screams, their yells. It was enough to make Soundwave push Bludgeon away and run back into the temple._

" _I knew it! You can hear them too!" He heard Bludgeon yell after him. "I was right all along! I WAS RIGHT!"_

 _XXXXXX_

 _Thunder boomed across the sky as a heavy rain fell across the land. Soundwave ran through the old town as fast as he could, his thoughts jumbled and a mess as he tried to get as far from that temple as he could._

 _The thoughts he gleaned from Bludgeon's mind were nothing he had seen before in his life. They were maddening, grotesque, horrific. Bludgeon had done more than just kill in his pursuit of answers, he mutilated, devoured, cannibalized. He lost all sense of morality and sanity because of that harmonic chaos he called Voices. How was he able to live with that for his entire life and not want to kill himself? The lengths he was willing to go in order to find the source of these whispers was too much for Soundwave and he did the first thing he thought of-collect his Minicons and run._

 _As he sprinted through the street, his acute audio receptors picked up the sound of footsteps hitting the wet ground behind him. Bludgeon wasn't going to let him go it seemed. That was fine, Soundwave was willing to fight to get back his freedom._

 _He turned a corner and ducked as Dice lunged at him in a surprise attack. He took out his concussion rifle and fired a blast into her back, but a sickle sliced through his gun. Slice fell on him, slamming him to the ground, but he managed to get on his back and opened his chest plate, deploying Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, who swarmed Slice with a wall of laser bolts to her face and chest. Soundwave flipped to his feet and kicked Dice's arm down as she came at him again. They traded fierce blows in the middle of the rain soaked street. Dice's claws left some shallow cuts on his arms and chest, but Soundwave was able to extend a vibroblade from his arm and land a stab wound in her lower abdomen._

" _How dare you spurn Master Bludgeon's hospitality!" Dice snarled. "You were going to be our guide to Paradise. You were going to help us all ascend!"_

" _That is not the path I want. I chose what I want to do with my life." Soundwave replied._

 _Dice cursed him and sprinted at him, claws extended. Soundwave leapt back and shifted his left hand into a radio dish, firing an intense sonic wave at her that made her stumble as her audio sensors were overloaded by the high pitch frequency. Soundwave used her falter to move in close. She lashed out with a swipe of her claws, and she managed to dig her blades into his forearm, but he spun around and dug his blade into her neck, cutting through cables and wiring as he beheaded her in one swipe._

" _Dice!" Slash gave an enraged shout and leapt up, kicking Laserbeak into the ground and stabbing her sickle's blade into Buzzsaw's body, ripping him apart with her bare hand. She landed on the ground and threw her chain at Soundwave. It wrapped around his undamaged forearm and he struggled to keep her from pulling him off his feet. They grappled for control until Soundwave heard a loud war cry from behind him._

" _SOUNDWAVE!" Bludgeon jumped off one of the rooftops and descended upon Soundwave, his sword drawn. Soundwave pulled the chain back enough so that the blade missed him and cut the chain instead, freeing him and throwing Slice off balance. He quickly grabbed one of the swords off Bludgeon's back and threw it at Slice, impaling her through the chest and killing her._

" _You dare run from me!?" Bludgeon howled, slashing away at Soundwave, who barely avoided his strikes. "I gave you a purpose in life. To seek out the gods who whisper in my ear. We're close, Soundwave, don't you see?"_

" _That is not my purpose! You merely seek to use me as a tool to fulfill your own delusions!" Soundwave said. He tried to grab Bludgeon's arm to take his sword, but Bludgeon easily evaded his hands and severed his left arm with an upward stroke._

" _I give you a home, I spare you life, and you repay me by spitting in my face? By denying your true calling?" Bludgeon kicked Soundwave in the face and moved to stab him. "Then you shall meet the same fate as those who tried to run from me as well. Your body will be a great sacrifice to Mortilus!"_

 _Before his blade could pierce Soundwave's chest, Ravage was deployed from his chest cavity. He leapt at Bludgeon and sank his teeth deep into his wrist, biting down hard enough to make Bludgeon lose his grip on his sword._

" _Filthy beast!" Bludgeon landed a palm strike on Ravage's chest and threw the Minicon into a window. He glared down at Soundwave, who was on his knees. "Get up and fight me like a warrior! I didn't teach you all those moves just to keep you occupied!"_

 _Soundwave wasn't going to play his game. In a one on one fight, he would lose hands down and he wasn't keen on dying in this dreary place. "No."_

" _Then die!"_

 _Bludgeon took one step forward and Soundwave shot up, throwing a grenade at Bludgeon's face. It detonated, and Bludgeon's vision was engulfed in flames as the explosion sent him skidding against the ground before hitting a wall head first. Once his optics fixed themselves, he searched for Soundwave, only to find him gone once the smoke cleared, along with Laserbeak and Ravage._

 _For the first time in stellar cycles, Bludgeon felt true anger and yelled to the heavens._

XXXXXX

"Keep it going, my friends. Do not leave a single energon cube behind." Bludgeon told his men.

The operation was going smoothly. They had found a massive deposit of Ore-13 in the area that was more than enough for what they needed. In large quantities, the mutated energon looked even more alien, and radiated a power that intoxicated Bludgeon.

"Shockwave has created something glorious and he hides it away from his own comrades," Bludgeon huffed, tossing a shard of the ore up in his hand. "It's insulting."

After watching his team push carts of the strange energon into the ground bridge, Bludgeon felt compelled to explore the cave they were working in one more time. They had removed all the equipment they needed and left the tech they didn't intend to use anymore. He walked into a section of the cave where the facsimilies were created and the first deposit of the ore was mined. Without all the equipment, this was just one big hole in the ground.

"Even still," Bludgeon said to himself. "It's best not to leave any evidence behind."

"Indeed."

Bludgeon spun around as he saw Soundwave convert from his tiny cassette mode to his larger natural form and jumped from a ledge he was sitting on in preparation for his arrival. Bludgeon chuckled and drew his swords.

"Soundwave," He drawled, eyes narrowing. "I knew we were being watched, but by you? You have some nerve after running out on me, soldier boy."

Soundwave just stared straight at Bludgeon, not saying a word.

"Well? You're not going to say anything after all these years? No mind reading? No simple inquiries as to my purpose here?" Bludgeon asked. "Granted, I'm sure you don't want to look into my mind after what happened before. You should know that I don't intend to let you leave if you mean to tattle on me."

"Lower your weapons, Bludgeon." Soundwave said. "Though I possess enough evidence to have you all executed should I wish, I prefer to put my skills and resources at your disposal."

Bludgeon stared at him long and hard before lowering his swords. "You…wish to join us?"

"Not exactly. It would be simply in your best interests to have me onside." He said. "Both in the short and long term."

It was a risky gamble, but he had to know just what this ore-13 was, where it came from and who made it. He'll only get these answers if he can convince Bludgeon to let him join. Once in space, he could rally the other Decepticons-perhaps contact Strika and Obsidian and have them apprehend Bludgeon before anything could happen.

"In other words, you want a cut."

Soundwave nodded. "A crude, but succinct summation."

Bludgeon stared at him for a moment before he burst out laughing. Soundwave watched him, confused as to what was so funny.

"Oh, Soundwave, how are you still such a fool after all these centuries? I thought you knew me better than that, but I guess I was wrong." Bludgeon chuckled. "You think us motivated by avarice and ambition when nothing could be farther from the truth. The Voices, I've found where they come from, Soundwave, no thanks to you. And thanks to Ember, they told me what I must do for the planet that we destroyed. With Shockwave's Ore-13, we will revive the scourge that destroyed out world-Thunderwing!"

Soundwave stepped back in shock at Bludgeon's declaration. Thunderwing, the monster from his nightmares. The beast that killed Cybertron and nearly annihilated Autobots and Decepticons alike. Dreadwing had went into great deal of the massive effort and the sacrifices taken to subdue the beast. So many died against it-and Bludgeon wanted to revive it?

"Why are you trying to bring back the monster that destroyed out planet and exiled out people?" Soundwave asked.

"Our war destroyed Cybertron. And with her death, our race will perish." Bludgeon explained. "But with Thunderwing, we have a chance to repent for our sins…by dying for our arrogance at the awesome might of his judgment."

Soundwave realized that he miscalculated-Bludgeon's plan was more twisted than he thought, and it was disturbingly just like him to think of something like this. To commit ungodly acts against nature just to satisfy his heretical urges. This brought forth an emotion that Soundwave hadn't felt in a long time-anger.

"I will stop you."

"I have no doubt that you will try." Bludgeon replied. He tossed one of his swords at Soundwave, who caught but. "But if we fight, it will be as warriors."

Soundwave glanced at the sword before getting into his stance. He knew that this will be a tough fight, mainly because Bludgeon was so much more adept at swordplay than he was, but he had to finish this now before Bludgeon as the chance to leave the planet. Thousands of Cybertronian lives were at stake. They circled each other, not taking their eyes off their opponents as they waited to see who will make the first move. A single twitch from Soundwave got the fight started.

They rushed at each and slashed their blades in a shower of sparks. Their movements were quick and precise, and each attack was followed by a defensive move and then followed by a counterattack that was also countered. They weaved around each other attempting to get at one another's blind spots, but they were skilled enough to keep those hidden as well. Then Bludgeon broke the stalemate by spinning around Soundwave's downward strike and slashing him in the chest before kicking him in the face. He charged, but Soundwave grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder into the ground, knocking the sword from his hands. But this didn't deter Bludgeon, it only excited him.

Bludgeon ran at Soundwave and lashed out with a series of punches and kicks that put the spymaster on the defensive. A lapse in his defense allowed Bludgeon to get in close and chop Soundwave in the neck before slamming a knee into his side. He snatched the sword from Soundwave's grip and landed a palm strike to his head, slamming him into the ground and raising his sword to stab into his chest. Soundwave raised his hand and let the blade stab through his appendage before diverting the blade to stab into the spot next to his head. Their eyes met for a second before Soundwave shattered the blade and flipped back to give himself some space.

"Very good," Bludgeon praised as Soundwave pulled the broken sword from his hand. "I knew you were special from the day I met you. But are you as skilled with your hands as you are with a sword?"

Bludgeon leapt forward and launched a punch at Soundwave. It was blocked and took the chance to land a couple of blows to Bludgeon's face and chest. Soundwave tried to palm strike Bludgeon, but the fanatical Con grabbed his wrist and twisted his hand at an awkward angle. He kept the pressure on it with one hand and brought Soundwave to his knees.

"You are a skilled warrior, Soundwave. That much is certain," Bludgeon said. "But your skills have been dulled by living with those savages you swear fealty to. Whereas my skills have only gotten stronger!"

Soundwave ignored the pain in his hand and lunged at his former master. He punched Bludgeon in the chest with such force that he was sent flying into the wall, causing rubble and dust to fly everywhere. Soundwave stood up and walked over to the hole in the wall where Bludgeon was lying. But as the smoke cleared, he saw that Bludgeon was gone.

'What?' Soundwave thought, then he felt a presence behind him. 'No!'

Soundwave spun around but was too slow to act as Bludgeon hit with a powerful punch to the chest that reverberated throughout his entire body. Dazed, Soundwave was open to the quick jabs that Bludgeon dealt to his limbs, which felt like he was getting jolted by an energon prod put on max settings. He fell to his knees in front of an unharmed Bludgeon.

"You fought a good fight, Soundwave. But in the end I am stronger." He said. "Make no mistake I only won because of our different goals. You fight for a dying warlord. I fight to cleanse the sins of our entire race."

Barely conscious, Soundwave tried to mentally call Ravage and Laserbeak to his side. He had to escape or everything was lost. But he could not hear their thoughts anymore. They were not responding. What was going on?

"Don't try calling you pets, Soundwave. It will do you no good." Bludgeon pointed to the entrance, where a reformatted Slice and Dice walked in with the broken bodies of Ravage and Laserbeak. "They're not dead. Just in stasis. A much better fate than what I have planned for you."

Fastback walked up to Bludgeon, carrying a large cannon. "Found this among Shockwave's small arsenal of experimental weaponry. I've been itching to try it out."

Bludgeon glared down at the disabled spymaster. "You would've been a trusted ally, Soundwave. But you spurned my generosity for that harlot you worship so much. And now you will die here, but rest assured, you will be remembered…as the mech who lost his life because of Megatron's lost ambitions."

Bludgeon raised his hand and landed one last strike to Soundwave's head, cracking his visor and knocking him back. Fastback fired the cannon and hit with a green energy beam. The weapon was designed as a form of transformation lock to act as a living prison within the target's own body. Bathed in green energy, Soundwave's T-Cog was overridden and he was forced into his tiny alt mode.

"Your T-Cog has now been infected with a coded virus that forces you into your alt mode." Bludgeon said, to the silent cassette player. "In your case, I'd imagine that's a considerable inconvenience. Still, you won't have much time to reflect on your predicament."

Bludgeon took out a plasma density charge and tossed it into a magma flow under a heat vent. He and his associates then walked over to the ground bridge.

"We're done here." Bludgeon said. "Let's go."

With one last look at his former protégé, Bludgeon entered the ground bridge and vanished. In Terra's orbit, the Hypnos received its cargo and crew, and upon Bludgeon's order, it initiated a quantum jump out of the Sol system.

Despite his brutal beating, Soundwave still could hear things. He heard the detonation of the plasma charges. He heard the cave beginning to crumble. He heard the loud explosions that made the volcano unstable. He even heart the ground under him break apart.

Then the last thing he hear…was the silence.

XXXXXX

 _It continued to rain over the city of Kaon. It was the like the sky had opened up and let lose an entire ocean's worth of water just for the tragedy that occurred a few hours earlier. Soundwave sat with his back against the remains of a concert hall, his arm still missing, and his two surviving Minicons, Ravage and Laserbeak still recharging on the ground next to him. He was still awake, staring up at the dark cloudy sky as rain poured on him. His body still ached, and the stump where his arm was cut off stung as the water seeped into his exposed circuitry, but he did nothing to cover it._

 _He barely escaped with his life, and he knew Bludgeon wouldn't stop hunting him down. It made Soundwave sad; he really thought he had something going for him. Something that could give his life meaning, learning about the unknown, finding out what kind of person he really was…why he was an outlier in the first place. Bludgeon was a sadistic mech who was driven mad by these visions he believed to have been sent to him by some god. He was such a fool to put his faith in him._

' _Now what do I do?' He thought stoically. He closed his eyes and sagged against the wall. 'Where do I go? I have no home, no job, no goals, nothing. All because I was born differently than the rest of the masses.'_

 _If the Functionists hadn't run him out of his home in Kaon he wouldn't be suffering like this. He wouldn't be wandering around the wastes like some vagabond. It wasn't his fault that he was like this, it was because of this god forsaken social system that catered to those who were born lucky. The thought alone filled Soundwave with anger, but that died out quickly as he remembered the reality of his situation. What could he, a single mech in a world of millions, do against something that has been in place for thousands of stellar cycles? One bot wasn't strong enough to fight the system and its government. Not even a Prime._

 _He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone approach him until their shadow fell over him. He ignored the busy body and continued to star at his lap._

" _Are you alright?"_

 _Soundwave looked up at the speaker and froze. It was a femme, black with white on her forearms and thighs, with a bird's head on her chest and black wings witting on her back. Her face was slender and white, with dark purple eyes and lips that contrasted her pale complexion._

" _You don't look so good." She said, frowning at his wounds. "And neither do your friends. Would you like me to help you?"_

 _Soundwave studied her for a moment before nodding. She smiled softly and held out her hand. "What's your name? I'm Nightshade."_

 _Soundwave slowly took her hand in his and took the first step into his new life. He idly thought that maybe she was the answer to his question. That person he should be fighting for. "Soundwave."_


	15. Stormbringer part 1

Chapter 15-Stormbringer part 1

' _Even now, the memory is seared into my subconscious. It emerges, swathed in flame and dripping white phosphorus, in those rare, reflective moments when my mental defenses are down. Time and time again I am dragged back to the very heart of the raging, howling storm that we brought down upon ourselves, and thought the front has long past…its calamitous echoes linger still.'_

XXXXXX

Cybertron-once a glittering jewel in the cosmos, a world unlike any other, spawning a race beyond anything nature could produce on its own, the Cybertronians. But now it was a barren, lifeless world-killed by the very species it gave birth to. Much of its once great cities lie in ruin, mostly from the centuries of violent warfare, but also from the harmful solar storms that would ravage the planet even further thanks to its lack of an atmosphere.

Flashpoint felt like crying whenever she looked down at the planet. They were once one of the most prosperous races in the galaxy, but now they spent all their time, resources and energy trying to find new ways to kill each other. Don't get it wrong, she didn't regret becoming an Autobot, but it was a grim thought to think that no matter who wins the war-they will still be left with a dead world and a dying race.

Ever since the departure of Arcee, that pompous fool Jetfire, and their human partner Gina Harkins, Elita-1 sent a science recon team consisting of herself and the Technobots to monitor Cybertron for any changes, no matter how subtle they were. It was out of curiosity to see if Gina interfacing with Vector Sigma had any effect on the planet itself. Flashpoint didn't doubt her commander as she was curious herself, but after spending millions of years dark, she had very little faith that anything changed. Which was why the news Nosecone gave her was so unbelievable.

"You've got what?"

"An energy trace, Flashpoint." Nosecone said. "Fifty-two kilks beneath the planet's surface."

"I don't mean to question your diligent attention to detail, Nosecone, but are you sure?" She asked again. "There's been no energy reading of any sort on Cybertron for the past seven hundred or so stellar cycles."

"I know, that's why, before I offered my finding, I triple-checked everything and ran a lexetsix diagnostic on the sensor cluster itself." He said curtly. "And I still have an energy trace."

Flashpoint bit her lip. "Transfer the datastream to the auditorium and gather the others. This beats closer investigation."

The Valkyrie agent and the rest of the Technobots assembled in the lab of the Calabi-Yau. A large holo-display of the planet's geography was sitting in the middle of the room showing the elements that were detected by the ship's scanners.

"As you can see, we have a large number of recognizable elements and a few rogue constituents, currently unclassified." Nosecone explained, motioning to the red cubes on display.

"Looks familiar." Noted Afterburner.

"It should, its eneron, only more so." Nosecone said. "I can only conjecture that a pocket remained undetected and, over time, became contaminated with elemental material from some far-flung corner of the galaxy."

The other Technobots looked a bit puzzled by this revelation, but Flashpoint seemed to understand. Energon was already in short supply when the war began, but the planet was drained to the point of drought as the war grew in intensity. Neighboring colonies also went dry as Decepticon raids plundered far-off settlements, and soon energon was scarce in the Hadeem solar system. But there were some deposits that were left untouched because the veins were too small, and that was probably the source of this anomaly.

"How's that possible?" Scattershot asked.

"With the degradation of Cybertron's atmosphere, the incidence of direct impacts from comets and other space debris has intensified." He continued. "It's possible this hybrid is the reaction."

It seemed like a far-fetched theory, but energon has been proven to be an extremely malleable element to foreign chemicals. Red energon, Tox-En, why should this "hybrid" be any different?

"If that's true, it supports my theory that Cybertron is gradually-albeit on a cosmic time scale-healing itself. Undoing what was done." Flashpoint said.

"S-so, what do we do about it?" Strafe asked. Flashpoint smirked at the nervous bot.

"I think, Strafe," She said. "We should go take a look."

Strafe groaned, having a bad feeling about this.

XXXXXX

As the Calabi-Yau descended onto the dead planet, Flashpoint looked out the window at the ravaged landscape. This was the second time she had stepped foot on Cybertron, her first being with the other Valkyries in their mission to help Arcee and her friends locate Vector Sigma. The difference between that excursion and this one was that the former was sanctioned by Elita-1. What she and the Technobots were doing could get them into a lot of trouble. They were breaking some high level restrictions by landing on the planet without proper clearance, as Strafe informed them for the fifth time.

"If you want to stay on the Calabi-Yau, Strafe, no one will blame you." She told the Technobot.

The nervous red mech shook his head, glancing at the stormy sky cautiously. "Oh, n-no. the chance to actually step foot on Cyertron again. It's, uh, l-like c-coming home."

For a mech who was a borderline nervous wreck in the face of danger and adversity, Strafe was doing a good job keeping himself together, Flashpoint had to give him that.

Afterburner announced they were landing and the rest of the team braced themselves as the ship landed roughly on the uneven terrain of Cybertron. Flashpoint was ready for the bumpy than usual landing and almost fell over had Nosecone not grabbed her. She glared at their pilot.

"Sorry." Afterburner said calmly.

The landing hatch slid down and Flashpoint, Strafe, Scattershot, and Lightspeed exited the ship into the cold, hostile land that was once their home. Scattershot checked the scanner for radiation levels.

"Cosmic radiation levels are off the scale, and we have a charged particle storm closing in on from the west." He said. "We'll need to rotate personal shield harmonics just to walk."

Flashpoint inwardly cursed. They came at a bad time. The conditions on this planet were much worse than the last time she was here. But she couldn't turn back now. Not when proof that Cybertron was healing itself was right here beneath her feet. She had to look into this now, or she'll miss it entirely.

The small team traveled through the devastated ruins of once glorious cities that they each called home at some point in time. Streets were uprooted, with bits of metal and stone jutting up from the ground, bridges collapsed and half destroyed, and large buildings nothing more than piles of rubble. There were barely any skyscrapers anymore, leaving only the smaller buildings and towers that weren't destroyed by the violent solar storms that would wash over the planet at irregular intervals.

They kept walking along the border of the Torus states near the planet's equator, and were currently taking a shortcut through the ruined city of Kalis. The sky was pitch black, with no clouds in sight, just a wall of stars hanging above them. It would've been a beautiful scene without the knowledge that there was no atmosphere holding the planet together and that soon the sky would give way to powerful solar storms and flares. It was a long journey, but they had to keep going, and everyone kept a close eye on their shielding, for one glitch could cause them to suffer from an overload of their systems from the charged particles in the air.

Flashpoint stood at the edge of the remnants of a park, looking out at the distant horizon at the jagged cracks, deep craters and fallen monuments. She ignored the cold, stagnant air and checked her sensory apparatus, seeing that it wasn't working very well.

"Can't get a visual fix. And instrumentation isn't doing my much good either." She rang up the Calabi-Yau. "I hope you're back in orbit, Afterburner, because we need a locator pulse." She got some garbled words through a wall of static in response. "Afterburner? Do you read me?"

"… _Barely…"_ Afterburner replied. Back on the ship, which had returned to orbit, the mech was working on getting through the radio noise. It was hard with all the radiation making instruments go haywire planetside. " _Cosmic radiation levels are messing with all comm-channels, but I do have a pretty solid fix on the energon pocket. Transmitting locator pulse now."_

"Say that again, Afterburner. You're breaking up." Flashpoint said. She scowled and cut her comm off. At least they knew where they were now.

She led the way out of Kalis and through a region of wilderness that seemed to be even more ravaged and destroyed than the rest of the area they had passed through. Scores of twisted metal that looked like it had been warped curved above their heads like giant ribcages, and hollowed out caves that led nowhere could be seen every here and there. The already tense atmosphere felt even darker, and a sense of foreboding came down upon some of the Technobots. No one voiced these concerns, as they were largely superficial, but it was Lightspeed's assessment of their surroundings that brought it to the forefront.

"Hey, is it just me, or does anyone else recognize this place?" He asked.

Flashpoint looked around. Now that she stopped to study their environment, something did look eerily familiar about this place. They had aimlessly wandered near the very edge of Kalis' borders, near Polyhex. The weather had gotten worse, and storm clouds hovered overhead, with lightning crackling ever few seconds. She magnified her vision and saw that they were near a very deep chasm. It wasn't natural, and it looked like a giant wound carved into the side of the planet, unnatural and ghoulish. The chasm went on for miles, and it was so deep that you couldn't see the bottom.

"Thunderhead Pass." Flashpoint whispered.

Strafe looked around at the area, feeling like they were in someplace they weren't meant to be. "I wasn't there when…it happened. Was it as b-bad as they say?"

"Worse. And I was back in field-ops trying to save as many bots as possible, half of which didn't even survive their wounds. What it was like out there, in the heart of the maelstrom, I can barely imagine." Flashpoint said morosely.

The Technobots knew of what she spoke of. The battle the brought the War for Cybertron to an abrupt end. The event that many refer to as the Fall.

"They never recovered a body, did they?" Scattershot asked, looking out at the stormy clouds that grew more violent with each passing second. Strong winds blew through the chasm, the wind tunnel causing a deep sound like an agonized groan to reverberate into the air.

"No."

XXXXXX

Autobot Orbital Command was a heavily fortified space station set in orbit around the distant planet Opulus. It was this station, which was nearly as large as one of the planet's three moons, that the core of the Autobot army worked as their main base of operations on the front lines of their millennia long war. Autobot teams were deployed to various regions of the galaxy, and were monitored for any problems or updates to hundreds of thousands of missions. It was also here that Autobot high command, lead by Elita-1, was directing the war effort.

But Elita-1, acting commander in the formerly MIA Optimus Prime's stead, wasn't doing much directing at the moment. She was standing alone in one of the hallways on the upper levels of the station looking out the window, her gaze fixed on a cluster of stars beyond Opulus's orbit.

"Hey, Elita?" Chromia, her lieutenant and best friend on the Valkyrie squadron, asked as she walked up to her friend. Since they were alone, the tall blue femme spoke to Elita-1 informally, not that she was very formal to begin with. "You alright?"

"Depends on what you mean by alright." EElita-1 said. "If physically, then yes, I'm as healthy as a Thunderhoof. If you mean mentally, then…" She sighed. "Let's just say I haven't been having peaceful naps for the past few days."

Chromia looked at her friend concerned. Indeed, the rose colored femme looked troubled and very tired. Being the commander in chief of the Autobots was a demanding job, especially for one who wasn't prepared for it. It made Elita-1 look older than she really was, but she masked her exhaustion and fatigue skillfully. To the other Autobots, she was Elita-1, the Goddess of Victory who nearly won the War for Cybertron for them. To her lover and close friends, she was just Elita-1, the femme who thought her spouse was dead for 4 million years.

"What's on your mind then?" Chromia asked."Is it Optimus? Because if that's the problem…"

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Elita-1 said. "I've just been having some bad dreams about…about the Fall."

Chromia pursed her lips. The Fall was a sore subject for Elita-1 and no one talked about it on the station out of respect for her. The female Autobot commander considered that disaster her greatest failure.

"It's been on my mind lately. The flames, the noise, the thunder." She shook her head. "I don't know why I'm thinking about that now, but something tells me that something big is going to happen."

"Big like…what?"

"I don't know. It's just that sense of unease that's been plaguing me for a while now. And I have a strong feeling that it's going to happen very soon. And we'll be right at the heart of it."

XXXXXX

The Technobots set up a portable relay station near the edge of Thunderhead Pass, and Flashpoint did a systems check to make sure everything, or at least most of their equipment, was running smoothly.

"Okay, I think we're set. Strafe?"

"Ready."

"Flash, far be it from me to resist my scientific curiosity, but should we be doing this?" Scattershot asked uncertainly. "I mean, if this is the spot where it all went down-literally-then perhaps we should leave well enough alone."

"Believe me, Scattershot, I have my own misgivings. But if we don't investigate, if we pretend whatever it is just isn't here, we may precipitate in a fresh cataclysm." She swept her hand at the barren lands around them. "All this is because we didn't ask the questions, didn't look beyond our own narrow little concerns. We were so fixated on whatever frontier we were defending or advancing, we never looked to see what we were doing to the planet."

Flashpoint sighed. How much of this could've been avoided if they had just heeded the warnings. She gave a humorless chuckle. "Typical. Of all the brilliant, innovative minds we had on tap, and a Decepticon is the first to realize what short-sighted blinkered gear grinders we all were."

She thought back to the Decepticon scientist who had contacted the other scientific minds of the war, regardless of faction. He told them, with growing desperation and urgency that the constant seismic shifts, increasing levels of cosmic radiation and contractions of the core led to one inescapable fact-Cybertron was dying.

The ever growing violence of the war, followed by the leaching of all available resources had shattered the planet's ability to restore and replenish itself. as it is, Cybertron's protective atmosphere was degrading because of Vector Sigma's weakening grip on the planet.

There was no way to stop it at that point. All they could do, the scientist said, was find ways to weather the collapse and do what they can to survive. Flashpoint remembered staying silent while everyone else argued the probability of such a disaster occurring, while some, like Perceptor, dismissed the scientist's claims.

' _Then you are fools!'_ He told them in anger. ' _When the storm comes, and it will, I will be ready. And you all can either follow my lead or die screaming in torment!'_

That scientist's name was Thunderwing.

"So in answer to your question, Scattershot, yes. We should. Whatever we find, however unpalatable it might be we can't just pretend it's not there." Flashpoint continued. "Strafe, launch the probe."

Strafe pressed the button and the diagnostic probe launched into the sky before falling into the deep chasm below them. As they watched it vanish, Scattershot checked their radiation levels.

"Flashpoint, that particle storm we tracked is closing in fast. We need to be gone before it reaches us." He said. "Our personal shielding can only hold so much."

"Agreed. Strafe, Lightspeed, pack up any non-essential equipment and get ready to move out." Flashpoint said. "We'll analyze the data from the probe once we're back onboard the Calabi-Yau."

Lightspeed stood up and stretched his arms. "Well Cybertron, it's been a blast, but I for one am ready to say good-AGH!"

Lightspeed cried out as something sharp stabbed him in the chest and electrocuted him, making him fall into stasis lock before hitting the ground. The other bots were already on high alert before he even hit the ground.

"Lightspeed!" Flashpoint drew her blaster. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Strafe said. "I thought I saw-AHH!"

Strafe was also hit by something that violently jolted him and he went unconscious as well. But this time, Flashpoint saw something shift in the air above the fallen Technobot before fading away. She and Scattershot stood back to back to avoid any more surprise attacks.

"Light warping armor. Someone's trying to snipe us." Flashpoint said.

"Yeah, but who are they? What are they doing here?" Scattershot asked. "And why are we getting the short, sharp shock treatment?"

"Good questions but for another time. Right now we need options!"

"Uh," He looked back at her. "Fire at will?"

Flashpoint glanced back at him. Then they both opened fired with their rifles in all directions, slowly rotating to cover their blind spots. But didn't hit anything living from what they could tell, and all the weapons fire was doing more harm than good. Just a few minutes into their shooting spree, Flashpoint noticed the bad weather getting worse around them.

"Wait, stop shooting! The particle storm is right on us!" She yelled.

But her warning came too late as they both were assaulted by strong jolts of electricity that brought them to their knees. They had accidentally catalyzed the dense particle mass surrounding them, creating an effect similar to how water channels electricity.

Flashpoint gritted her teeth as she felt her shields go down and her systems overloading. She could barely control her motor functions as she struggled not to fall into stasis lock. "We need to get out of here!"

"Nosecone, Afterburner! Can you hear me?" Scattershot grunted out. "Send us-wait," He saw multiple forms surround them, still invisible and seemingly immune to the effects of the ionized atmosphere. "Flashpoint, I see them! They're all around us!"

"Slag." She cursed.

Their invisible assailants jammed their energon prods into the two Autobots, shocking them and sending them offline.

XXXXXX

Up in orbit, the Calabi-Yau was still trying to get in contact with their friends on the planet's surface, but could get no reply. This worried the two Techonobots, who were already on edge.

"Flashpoint? Flashpoint, was that you?" Nosecone called into the receiver. "Nothing but dead air. Probably just the particle storm, but-"

"Oh slag!" Afterburner cursed, making Nosecone jump.

"What?" Nosecone looked at the radar, which was showing four blips heading towards their ship. "Oh slag! Where did that come from?"

"The planet." Afterburner answered.

"Time to impact?"

"Moments."

The two Autobots wasted no time in heading to wave escape pods in the lower deck. Nosecone was able to use what precious seconds they had left to send out a distress buoy. The Calabi-Yau was a survey ship and was not built for combat, let alone take on warheads directly and get out in one piece. If they didn't make it out, someone had to know what was going on."

Outside, the missiles flew towards the ship and the Calabi-Yau went up in a bright explosion that lit up Cybertron's sky for a moment before all went dark once more.

XXXXXX

' _The distant crash of thunder unleashes yet another blinding flash of bitter memory. There is no hiding from it, from what it did, and didn't, do. We used and abused our world, and in the process created a monster. Our folly, our ignorance, out short sightedness given dread shape and form. It took everything we had and more to stop it, to halt its flailing apocalyptic advance. But even then, it was not the creature that yielded by Cybertron itself!_

 _As if bent on one last selfless act of sacrifice, it took out sin and swallowed it whole. Some transgressions, though are simply too bit to stay buried. With dire certainty I know that one day-perhaps later, perhaps sooner-the storm will rise again, and even in the farthest corners of the universe, we will hear its name!'_

Flashpoint groaned as she returned to the land of the living. Her body was still numb from the effects of the particle storm that ravaged her systems and it took a while for her motor functions to reboot properly. When she regained full motion of her body, she realized that her hands and wrists were encased in stasis cuffs. Then she heard the chanting.

It was faint and garbled at first due to her still rebooting audio sensors, but as they recalibrated, she began to decipher the words. Multiple voices chanting a single word, a name in reverence. The name echoed into the cave she was in and as she looked up she saw a group of mechs standing in front of a colossal figure encased in a stasis pod. It was a humanoid creature of Cybertronian origin that looked like some mythical demon from the Covenant of Primus. It was a name that she had nightmares about, a name she thought she would never hear again.

" **THUNDERWING!"**


	16. Stormbringer part 2

Chapter 16-Stormbringer part 2

' _We saw the signs, the portents-the dark clouds gathering on our horizons, and yet we averted our eyes. Pretended it wasn't coming. And in doing so, we unleashed a storm of an even greater magnitude, one that so very nearly destroyed us all.'_

XXXXXX

Flashpoint was a femme who prided herself on maintaining a calm and level head during times of crisis. She rarely lost her temper and used her cool, calm composure to do her job in a productive manner. But looking up at Bludgeon's large form, she felt a fury she didn't know she was capable of generating until now rising up inside her.

From what she could gather, she was in some subterranean cavern deep beneath Cybertron's surface, deep enough that the solar radiation and particle storms could hurt them seriously. The very bottom of Thunderhead Pass.

"You're insane." Flashpoint hissed. "That thing took us to the brink. Listen to me, Bludgeon, you can't control it!"

"I do not seek to control it, merely guide it. Direct it." Bludgeon said. "Worlds will burn-a mass sacrifice that will appease the spirit of this planet and return it to its former glory!"

"You actually believe that, don't you?" She questioned, honestly shocked at the sheer reverence in his tone. She heard stories about his abnormalities, but she largely thought they were just Decepticon propaganda. Looking back, she remembered that even the Cons were disturbed by Bludgeon's attitude. This mech was someone willing to set thousands of worlds aflame to satisfy his so-called righteous cause. It was sickening. "Primus helps us all."

Bludgeon looked down at her like she was some bug that tried to crawl onto his feet. "We visited this apocalypse upon ourselves. We took something magnificent and turned it into a wasteland!" He sneered, eyes burning with hatred. "And there is blame to be apportioned, Flashpoint; you must shoulder your share. You knew, you were warned. And yet you did nothing."

Flashpoint took the harsh criticisms with a stoic expression. He was right in a sense. Had they at least heeded Thunderwing's warnings, something could have been done to relieve the stress on the degrading planet. Then she thought back to the disaster that followed-the same mech who predicted Cybertron's death also brought about its end.

"No, you're wrong." She said firmly. "Sure he saw where things were going ahead of the rest of us, maybe, but what he did to himself was not the answer." She shook her head. "It drove him mad. And ultimately, just accelerated the end."

Bludgeon stomped on her chest and pressed down hard on her. "There are no endings, Flashpoint. Just cycles. In time, Cybertron will rise again, renewed. And in the meantime-we will finish what Thunderwing started!"

XXXXXX

 **Autobot Orbital Command**

Elita-1 read the infopad in her hand with a grim expression. The shorter blue mech standing at attention next to her, Searchlight, waited patiently for her to process the information.

"Has this been verified?" She asked.

"Yes sir. The message buoy was definitely launched by the Calabi-Yau. We've tried hailing her and nothing-just dead space. Action?" He asked.

Elita-1 narrowed her eyes. An energy trace detected in the immediate vicinity of Thunderhead Pass. This was only minutes before missiles were launched from roughly the same location. It was clear someone was fooling around in Thunderwing's graveyard and it probably had something to do with the monster itself. Primus, her fears were coming true.

"Searchlight," She said. "Get me the Wreckers."

XXXXXX

Springer would be lying if he said that he liked leading the Wreckers. They took jobs no one else was qualified for, and the high mortality rate wore away at a bot's sanity over time. But he did have a hand in its formation with Impactor and considered it his responsibility. So between choosing to lead a group of bots who he might be leading into a total massacre and having some pencil pusher like Ultra Magnus who'd rather spend his career kissing the ass of the Galactic Council, Springer decided to take one for the team.

However, there were times when this job grated on Springer's nerves. This was one of those times.

"What do you mean it's a lost cause? Of course it's a lost cause. That's why we're here!" Springer yelled into the radio. In the background, chaos reigned as his forces were attacking a Decepticon installation that was giving them more trouble than they initially realized. Explosions blossomed around him like weeds, but he paid it all no mind. "Say again? No. I don't care if its phase sixty! We don't cede this world to the Cons without one hell of a kick and struggle. So shut up, Bluestreak and get your squad here now or you'll miss all the fun!"

The Wreckers were trying to take a distant planet, Varas Centralus, back from the Decepticons, who were already deeply entrenched into the siege mode process of their Infiltration Protocol. It was hard; a lot of artillery fire was coming their way, and though there were few casualties on their side, the position of the fortress they were attacking and the dense geography of the terrain itself wasn't helping.

Springer called his demolition team. "Scoop, how's my storm tunnel going?"

" _Slowly, Springer, slowly_." Scoop answered. " _The local rock is very dense. Primus knows how the Decepticons got their siege mode armature placed!"_

Springer sighed. "Honest, virtuous effort, Scoop. Tell Twin Twist to keep at it."

"Springer!" A tall, heavy set brown and green mech hefting a gattling cannon in his large hands walked over to his long time commander. "Ops-command. It's urgent."

"Isn't it always, Roadbuster? Give it here." Roadbuster tossed him the radio and he listened to the bot on the other line. "Yes?...No, not yet. What the hell are you calling fo…direct order from Elita-1? What about Varas?" Some more grumbling. "One big disaster area? That's never stopped us in the past!" The bot on the other side spoke a little louder, making Springer scowl. "Fine. Hate leaving a battle half-fought thought."

He hung up and tossed the radio back to Roadbuster and stomped away. "Summons from on high. We're being redeployed." He said bitterly.

"To where?" Roadbuster asked.

"Home. Cybertron."

XXXXXX

"I'm begging you, don't do it!" Flashpoint exclaimed. "This thing is not a containable quantity. It's a force of nature. You can't seriously hope to direct it like some guided missile. It'll overwhelm you, roll right over you. It's just too…big."

She trailed off as Bludgeon led her-along with a two guards, Skullgrin and Finback-into a larger chamber that had a large chair in front of a couple of monitors. At the center of the chamber was a massive dark gray cybertronian, one larger than even Megatron, with a heavily armored form and a bestial face that was reminiscent of a devilish Jack'O Lantern avoid of life. The wings on its back were folded up, but made it look larger than it was, and all the more imposing. This was Cybertron's killer, the monstrous Thunderwing.

Bludgeon chuckled as he sat down in the control chair. "I understand your awe. It's how we felt when we first exhumed the entity from the depths into which it fell. But I can be done. The neuroscape is void all trace of volition or sentience burned out on its last flailing rampage."

He pressed some buttons and four cables connected to the back of the chair, right above where the back of his head was plugged into the cords extending from the chair. The machine hummed to life as energon traveled through the cables and into the still form of Thunderwing, slowly raising his power levels. "Via the uplink, I can imprint my will-provide rudimentary impulses and navigational prompts. The rest, well," A faint glow came to Thunderwing's eyes. "It'll be a case of doing what comes naturally."

Flashpoint looked at Bludgeon in horror. "No…no! if you let it lose, there'll be no stopping it." She struggled against her cuffs. "You can't just turn it on and off, it'll consume everything…you included!"

"I think not." Bludgeon turned to his other companions. "Iguanus, Bomb-Burst, rouse the entity."

"This has gone far enough!" Flashpoint kicked Skullgrin in the face to knock him back. "You'll kill us all and countless more! You have to-gah!"

Finback jolted her with his energon prod and she fell to her knees.

"Enough! No sense in wasting raw materials." Bludgeon looked down at Flashpoint. "I wanted you to see this much, Flashpoint, to understand what will be, but your negativity is starting to grate." He motioned to the guards. "Skullgrin, Finback, put her with the others. She will reflect on her lack of faith as she is recycled along with her compatriots."

Iguanas checked the readings. "Bludgeon, Ore-13 levels at fifty percent and rising. It won't be much longer now."

The fire in Thunderwing's eyes grew brighter.

XXXXXX

Aboard the Autobot starship Kappa, Springer was conversing with Elita-1 as the ship quantum jumped to its destination. The Wrecker commander was not enjoying the conversation as he was briefed by her on the situation, which was just as bad as he thought it was. He wasn't looking forward to visiting his dead homeworld either.

"Thunderwing, huh?" Springer frowned. "Never did want to live forever."

"That's not confirmed, Springer. But given the circumstances, I'm taking no chances." Elita-1 said, her holo-image just as grim as his expression.

"Our ETA is nineteen megacycles. You?"

"About that, we'll rendezvous on the Solomus's dark side."

"Fine." He said, and then sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Elita-1, look, if it is Thunderwing, conventional weaponry won't cut it. We know that from bitter experience. If all else fails…I say we torch what's left of Cybertron and that monstrosity along with it!"

Elita-1 stared long and hard at Springer with an unreadable expression. "I'll take that into consideration. Elita-1 out."

Springer's image vanished from the display and Elita-1 rubbed the bridge of her nose. The situation was spiraling out of control, just like before. She never imagined a possibility that Thunderwing might return, or rather, someone was crazy enough to revive him. The primal roar, the screams of her Autobots, the deafening boom of explosions and the blinding flash of K-bombs detonating against Cybertron's surface. It came back to her in flashes, and she thought back to the day after Thunderwing's defeat-moments before the Great Exodus following Cybertron's last breath.

XXXXXX

" _You have to see the bigger picture!"_

 _The frustrated words came from Strika, renowned general of the Decepticons, who stood with Elita-1 on the edge of the still smoking crater where Thunderwing once stood two hours ago. The entire region was scorched beyond recognition, the aftermath of an orbital strike on the region that blew straight through the planet's upper crust and leg a giant chasm running through the region between Kalis and Altihex._

" _You're sentiment blind you to the reality of our current situation!" Strika growled. "We hit this thing with everything we had and it just kept coming. Chances are it's still not dead. We have to make sure. Finish the job."_

" _By nuking the entire planet?" Elita-1 whirled on Strika and glared at her. "I won't accept that. Our shortsightedness had pushed Cybertron to the very brink. I can't-won't-see it destroyed. If you even think about doing such a thing, I will stop you."_

 _Strika glared down at Elita-1, who was a head shorter than her. Then she snorted and walked away._

" _Very well, Elita-1: but if anything happens, it will be on your head!"_

XXXXXX

"Elita-1?"

Elita-1 was knocked from her reverie by someone calling her name. She looked down and saw a short light blue Autobot cadet with wings on his shoulders standing at attention.

"Ah. Um, Dogfight, isn't it?" She inquired. The cadet nodded animatedly.

"Yes sir! I, ah, just wanted to say what an honor it is to serve alongside you on this mission." Dogfight said. He wasn't the first to be excited to serve alongside the famed 'Goddess of Victory'. "I am very excited by the opportunity."

"Excited?" Elita-1 gave a bitter laugh. "Let us hope, Dogfight, that when, one way or another, this is all over…that sentiment prevails."

XXXXX

Nosecone grunted as he hit the jagged ground, wincing a bit at the pain in his cranium before pushing himself off the ground. The escape pod he just fell out of had crashed into a building and was knocked onto its side upon crash landing, nearly throwing the two Autobots out of their life boat. He shook his head to clear the stars from his vision and looked around.

"Afterburner?" He called out, stumbling out of the ruined building. "Afterburner!"

"Ugh…"

Nosecone saw Afterburner on the ground, leaning against a slab of ore groaning. The Technobot tried to move, but his mind was fuzzy and it was hard to think straight. "Everything hurts…hard to think…to move…"

Nosecone reached down and threw Afterburner's arm over his shoulders before pulling his friend up. "I know. Cosmic radiation levels are out of control. Flashpoint and the others have shielding-we don't. We need to find shelter before we die."

"I thought w-we were…" Afterburner's voice box became a garbled mess for a second. "Already dead."

"We just barely scraped by. We managed to get into the escape pod, but the blast wave knocked out the pod's gyro-guidance thrusters." Nosecone explained.

They stumbled along the ravaged streets of some unknown avenue, but froze as they heard a loud earth shattering boom and Nosecone looked up just in time to see a large alien jet fly over them and quickly disappear into Cybertron's atmosphere.

"Wzat?" Afterburner slurred.

"Nothing. Come on, I think there's a storage bunker by the lateral zero perimeter." Nosecone helped his friend along the desolate terrain of damaged buildings and streets. Then he cursed as he saw beams of light shine down on them from up ahead. "Slag!"

Nosecone dragged Afterburner behind a wall and prayed that they weren't spotted. Seconds later, a trio of large white drones marched past them, standing nearly three times taller than the Technobot pair and sporting a variety of weapons on their shoulders and bulky arms. Their red visors emitted scanning beams that comb the area for anything that moved. Nosecone didn't even twitch until the drones were far enough down the street that he could let out a sigh without being discovered.

"Wh they-?"

"Yeah. Overcharge drones." Nosecone groaned. "Question is…were they on patrol or looking for us?"

Overcharge drones were high grade military units that were once used by the Senate militia of pre-war Cybertron. They were large, guzzled energon like no tomorrow, but were very dangerous when deployed in large groups, making them damn near impossible to combat without losing a limb.

"Those things were upgraded to the teeth. They were probably reactivated by the same goons who tried to vap us in orbit." Nosecone hefted Afterburner onto his back and carried him back out onto the street. "We have to keep moving. Between those overcharge drones and the general toxic smog, we're nearing out expiration date."

"Nosecone, I-"Afterburner's legs gave out as the effects of the ambient radiation finally caught up to him. "Don't think…I can go onnnn…."

Afterburner went into stasis lock and Nosecone tried to rouse him back to consciousness, only to feel the radiation sickness begin to affect him too. If he stayed out here any longer, he would go into stasis lock as well. And without any medical attention on standby, stasis lock was equivalent to death in this wasteland. "I can't…move…" He grunted.

He yelped as a bright light shined down on him and he looked up to see two overcharge drones looming over him, their sensors glowing ominously as they scanned him and identified him and his comrade as an enemy.

"Frag!" Nosecone rasped.

The drones stomped forward towards the Technobot and reached down with their titanium pincers, ready to annihilate any intruders on the orders of their masters.

XXXXXX

"Huh?"

Deep inside a Decepticon bunker on the planet Ardan, Rukus quickly pulled himself upright as the computer started beeping.

"Rukus?" A dark blue mech with an aerodynamic frame looked over his shoulder curiously. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Darkwing. I've got a mysterious aircraft approaching the planet." Rukus reported. "Whatever it is, it's closing in fast."

"Ardian?"

"Negative. Too big, too sophisticated. It emergred through a foldspace transition so it must have some kind of interstellar drive." Rukus brought up the video feed from cameras mounted in some of northern Ardian's most important cities. "We should have a visual now."

The assembled Decepticon infiltration team watched as the strange aircraft hovered over the city like a bird of prey, its large shadow falling over the scared green-skinned Ardians. Like a storm cloud, its engines rumbled like thunder and its form crackled with black lightning as it began to shift forms.

For most of the Decepticons present, it was like seeing a nightmare come to life. The large alien aircraft transformed into a titanic menace, cybertronian, but more powerful than any conventional Autobot or Decepticon. Once it took on its humanoid configuration, it crashed into the middle of the city and roared a mighty, distorted howl that rippled across the entire continent.

Thunderwing has returned, and the world of Ardan was set aflame.

XXXXXX

 _We saw the signs, the portents, the dark clouds gathering on our horizons, and yet we averted out eyes, pretended it wasn't coming. And in doing so we unleashed a storm of even greater magnitude, one that so very nearly destroyed us all._

 _And now it seem-others shall reap the whirlwind._


	17. Stormbringer part 3

Chapter 15-Stormbringer part 3

' _It is a cleansing, purifying fire, a torrid tempest sweeping away the petrified remembrance of sins past. A sword, forged from pure anarchy and bedlam, to scribe bloody tribute to angry powers that be. Judgment. Nemesis. Armageddon. Apocalypse._

 _Now. Worlds will burn. And from the ashes of funeral pyres lit the length and breath of the galaxy-a new Cybertron will rise! This is just the beginning.'_

XXXXX

Bludgeon had never felt so elated. Thunderwing's cleansing had gotten off to a great start. He was already in the process of torching a city on the planet Ardan, where Bludgeon knew there was a Decepticon infiltration squad stationed there. Good, he wanted the Decepticons to know about this. Once Thunderwing had tasted cybertronian blood, it will come for the sinners who brought about this misery. Retribution will be given to Cybertron and its murderers will be brought to justice!

"When the entity is finished on Ardan, when it has reduced the planet to a cinder and eradicated every living thing on it," Bludgeon said. "We will send it onwards to another planet, and another."

"All hail Thunderwing." Skullgrin said reverently.

"Iguanus, engage the auto-driver." Bludgeon ordered. Once the control unit was placed on autopilot, Bludgeon disconnected himself from the machine. "Good. Now out little weapon of mass destruction knows what's expected of it by now. Contact Ember and give her a status report."

"Yes, Bludgeon." Finaback said.

Bludgeon left the chamber and entered a room far from the opening shaft, near the very edge of the cavern they were stationed in. He walked towards a collection of stasis pods and stopped in front of one pod that was covered in sickly green lines of fleshy material. He popped it open to reveal a large ghoulish husk of organic material woven together like a grotesque tapestry. The fruits of Thunderwing's labor from his studies of something called polydermic grafting.

"Poor Thunderwing. Your bio-cybernetic grafting process was a truly staggering innovation, but alas, untested. Instead of protecting you, the shell's symbiotic fusion process destroyed your mind and drove you mad. Not even the Underbase could provide you the hindsight to save your sanity." Bludgeon stood in front of the shell that was destined to be worn by him. "We on the other hand, have the benefit of more measured research, some trial and error. We will all have unlimited power, invulnerability, and the wit to use them!"

Thunderwing was their trump card, their flaming sword to inflict righteous fury upon this sinful universe and bring about a new age. The new millennium prophesized by the divine voices that had spoken to him for so long. The Age of Stone!

XXXXXX

Nosecone never put much thought into how he would die. He presumed it would be quick and unexpected, like most deaths in this war (anything aside from being slagged by the DJD or placed in the Grindcore prison camp). Gunned down by a Decepticon, shot down in the midst of open warfare, hell even an industrial accident! Not from radiation sickness and a drone of all things on the remains of his home planet.

"Ack!" He grunted as one drone grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. "Heh, I'm not afraid of you! Do your worst!"

He shut his eyes as the rail gun on the drone's arm was pointed at his face and prayed that it would be quick. He waited for the tell tale flash and the slight sting of an electrified projectile blasting his cranium to pieces before darkness overtook him, but nothing happened. Nosecone cracked on eye open and saw that the drone holding him had its head blown off. The other drone standing over Afterburner was assaulted by blaster bolts and fell back from a missile strike that tore into its chest. He fell to the ground as two Autobots set him free. He panted slightly as he recognized his rescuers as members of the Wreckers, Roadbuster and Topspin.

"Hostiles are down. Topspin, how are they?" Roadbuster asked.

"Lifesigns are erratic. We need to stabilize them quick." Topspin said.

"Not here, the area's too hot." Roadbuster looked up at the blue helicopter hovering over their position. "Whirl, we need an emergency evac!"

Nosecone groaned as his head fell back, exhaustion catching up to him as he fell into stasis.

XXXXX

"Nosecone?" A voice called out. "Nosecone!"

Nosecone groaned as he came back online, his optics switching back on behind his red visor. He and Afterburner and set up against a rock hooked up to a life support machine with Topspin sitting near them checking their vitals.

"Top…spin? If you're here, then," Nosecone paused to gather his thoughts. His mind was still foggy from his reawakening. "Our message got through?"

"Big time! Made everyone sit up and pay attention, I can tell you!" Topspin grinned.

Nosecone couldn't hold back his surprise when he saw his commander, Elita-1, Wrecker commander Springer, and his Wrecker squad standing at the edge of the hole made by Twin Twist in his alt mode. It must've been really serious for Elita-1 herself to come along with Springer and the Wreckers. To see them together meant that something big was going down.

Nosecone turned to the still offline Afterburner. "What about Afterburner?"

"Took a bigger hit of cosmic radiation than you did-he'll be out a little while longer" Topspin said. "Lucky we came when we did. Whoever rebooted those overcharge drones wasn't taking prisoners."

"Where are we?"

"An old border fortification east of Thunderhead Pass, sub-level. We're going in to get our friends back!"

Topspin explained that they discovered a sub-surface complex underground. They figured it was also where Flashpoint and the others were being held, along with their captors. Once they dug a tunnel into the complex, they'll jump in and storm the place fast and hard.

Nosecone allowed himself to relax. His friends were going to be all right. That thought alone allowed him to sag in relief and he went back to a peaceful slumber.

XXXXX

The Ardanian Decepticon infiltration unit was completely silent as they watched Thunderwing cause chaos in the Ardanian city. An hour had passed and the city was completely destroyed, a burning ruin devastated by the creature with awe inspiring fury and power. Thousands of people were dead in the initial attack and Ardanian defense forces were utterly useless against it.

No one said a thing, until Rukus spoke up. "So…do we try and stop it? Or give it a helping hand? I mean, it's doing what we want done anyway-just a lot quicker."

"Depends if it knows where and when to stop." Darkwing said. "Global devastation may be our goal here, but we need some world left to strip down and ship out. That thing destroyed Cybertron single-handed, and it'll make short work of us."

The hulking form of Skullcruncher looked at his unit commander in shock. "You don't mean-"

"We mobilize and add our firepower to the mix." Darkwing said.

"But-"

"Perhaps, Skullcruncher, you'd like to be the one to tell Strika how we lost Ardan."

Skullcruncher closed his mouth and shook his head. "N-no."

"Thought so. Move out people! Hold nothing back and hit it with everything you've got!"

"Yeah!" Darkwing's crew cheered and they all clamored out of the bunker. Thrust remained behind to monitor things and erase any trace of their existence upon leaving this world.

Before they left, Darkwing turned to Dreadwind, his only friend and wing man on this unit. "Listen, Dreadwind, there's a fair chance that this won't go well. If we've did everything we could and it still wasn't enough-we get the hell out of here!"

XXXXX

Deep beneath Cybertron's surface, Twin Twist and Scoop were already finishing up the storm tunnel for their comrades topside. Once he drilled as close as he could to the underground complex, he stopped and called it in.

"Scoop, we've reached the buffer zone." He said. "Give the call."

"Will do. Springer, we're about done tunneling," Scoop called. "You're up."

Back on the surface, Springer grinned and looked at his team. "About damn time to. Wreckers, let's count heads!"

The Wreckers gave a collective holler and jumped into the tunnel, with Broadside entering last. They were essentially a walking armored battalion, sporting enough weapons to combat a warship. Elita-1 and Springer were the last to enter.

"Suppose there's no point in asking you to stay up here, out of the firing line." Springer said conversationally. He already knew her answer.

Elita-1 gave him a look. "Undue concern for women often leads to contempt for them." Elita-1 cocked her gun. "Let's bring 'em hell."

Finback was leaning against the wall watching a live feed of some Decepticon unit taking on Thunderwing. He shook his head, amazed at the sheer stupidity of these Cons. Who in their right mind would willingly fight a world-killer with less than an army? Then again, the Cons were seriously lacking in brain power these days with most of the egg heads living it up with Strika or Obsidian. His musing was interrupted when he heard a hissing noise coming from above.

"Huh?" He looked up and saw a single point on the ceiling start to heat up rapidly. Then the ceiling was blasted open to reveal a group of Autobots! "No!"

Chromia gunned him down as she land in the complex. He tried reaching for his own weapon, but Roadbuster snuffed him out with two artillery shells to the head, vaporizing his head and shoulders.

In the control room, Bomb-Burst and Skullgrin saw the intruders and got ready for the siege coming their way.

"Scrap," Skullgrin muttered as he fingered his communicator. "Bludgeon, come in! We've got-"

Another explosion blew out the wall next to him, knocking Skullgrin and Bomb-Burst off their feet. The two Cons tried to escape, but Springer tossed a concussion bomb their way and took cover as the bomb detonated right on top of them. The blast wave shattered their forms like glass and sent their pieces flying everywhere like a living frag grenade. Iguanas, who was lucky enough to have avoided being spotted, took on his alt mode and drove down the hall towards Bludgeon's inner sanctum.

He made his way towards the Nexus, where Bludgeon kept a living mausoleum of Thunderwing's various experiments for future study and use and slid through the doors just as they were about to close shut.

"Bludgeon! The Autobots here, and they-Bludgeon?" Iguanus paused in his tirade as he beheld his leader, who was a much different mech that he was earlier.

XXXXXX

On Ardan, the Decepticons' battle against Thunderwing wasn't going as well as they tricked themselves into believing. Thunderwing dwarfed them in size and firepower, not to mention their attacks weren't doing a damn thing to it other than pissing it off. Lasers, photon bursts, concussion blasts, seismic charges, nothing damaged it.

"Hit it with everything we've got, Darkwing says," Crankcase grumbled as he pelted Thunderwing's back with particle beams. "Well I am, Darkwing, and it's not making a damn difference!"

"I'm cranked up to the max," Ruckus said. "But it barely seems to have noticed."

Thunderwing's face, which looked like a grinning skull with flames spewing from its eyes and mouth, looked down at Ruckus and slammed its foot down on the Con, crushing him with its immense weight. Then it picked him up and threw the still transformed mech at Crankcase, hitting him hard enough to send them both crashing into a fallen building.

Roadgrabber tried to attacked Thunderwing's legs with his dense titanium drill mounted on the front of his alt mode, but to his surprise, Thunderwing met his charge with a kick that nearly crushed him into a cube.

"Ruckus, Crankcase and Roadgrabber…totaled!" Dreadwind said in astonishment. "And we've barely started the battle!"

"It's just as I feared! This thing is every bit as powerful and unstoppable as before." Darkwing said. "Lay down some heavy fire!"

The two Seekers dropped a rain of cluster bombs and fired a volley of proton missiles at Thunderwing, engulfing the monster in a massive plume of flames that was bright enough to be spotted from the stratosphere. At the heart of the explosion, Thunderwing remained unharmed, uncaring of the inferno licking at its armor as it glared at the two Cons. Opening its mouth, it gave a loud roar that echoed over the chaos it caused and black lightning arced off its body.

"What is it doing now?" Dreadwing groaned.

Thunderwing began charging up energy in its body and released it in a powerful blast wave of ebony lightning that nearly blew Darkwing and Dreadwing out of the sky. They were mostly unharmed, but the energy they were doused in began screwing with their systems.

"That thing just ionized the atmosphere!" Darkwing shouted. "Navigation's down, tactical's down, no comm signal-that's it! We're picking up Thrust and calling this in!"

The two flyers flew as fast as they could from the disaster area, leaving Thunderwing and the broken bodies of their comrades behind as they flew out of the dark, smoky clouds back towards their base. They had to tell Strika about this quickly before that thing somehow followed them back to High Command or something equally terrifying.

XXXXX

"We're in!"

Once Twin Twist was finished melting through the armored door, the Autobot assault team burst into the Nexus, weapons ready for any surprises Bludgeon might've had in store. But aside from a collection of sickly green stasis pods, nothing stood out-aside from the half-dead form of Iguanus.

Elita-1 knelt down beside him. The Con was missing half his torso, and his fading laser core was dangling from his ravaged chest by a few cables. Energon bled from his wounds and soaked the bottom of Elita-1's feet. He was fading fast.

"Iguanus," She said firmly, holding his hand. "Where is Bludgeon?"

Iguanas groaned and coughed a bit before giving a weak chuckle. "You'll never find him-he has done what he came here to do. He has achieved what Thunderwing failed to do-polydermal grafting, Thunderwing's greatest achievement now lives within him!"

"Thunderwing's outlawed experiments," Chromia scowled. "Don't tell me Bludgeon's actually done it."

"He has, and n-now Thunderwing will absolve us of sin and rebuild Cybertron through the blood of those ungodly heathens…" Iguanus' eyes darkened and his head rolled to the side.

Elita-1 frowned and stood up. "Of course he runs away. For all his talk, Bludgeon certainly has no problem cutting and running when the time calls for it."

"Elita!"

The two Valkyries turned to see Flashpoint, who was leaning on Roadbuster for support, being escorted into the room.

"Elita, shut it down!" She exclaimed. "You have to shut down the axis cradle!"

"Axis cradle?" Elita-1 questioned.

Flashpoint pointed to the control seat by the computer monitors. Springer pointed his rifle at it.

"Oh. Well, why didn't you just say that?" Springer quipped and fired a few bursts into the seat and control panel.

"They let it out. Those blinkered, deranged, maniacs actually-ugh!" Flashpoint fell to one knee and Elita-1 helped her back up.

"Easy does it, Flash." She said. "Will that be enough, Flashpoint? To end this?"

"I hope so, Elita. Because if that didn't stop it, I don't know what will!" Flashpoint said, completely delirious with fear. She rarely felt this way, afraid of something so massive and powerful than her. It was not a welcome feeling and it made her agitated.

"Uh guys?" Chromia called out from the other side of the room. "You need to see this!"

Elita-1 and Flashpoint ran over to Chromia, who was holding a data pad connected to the console. "What's this?"

"Some kind of orbital perimeter alarm." Chromia said. "It's presumably how they picked up the Calabi-Yau."

Then the datapad started beeping and Chromia checked out the readings. When the blue femme's face went dark, Flashpoint hesitantly asked, "What's wrong? Do we have Decepticons incoming?"

"No," Chromia showed them the images. "Thunderwing."

XXXXX

Light years away from Cybertron, aboard the Decepticon warship, the Thanatos, Razorclaw of the Predacons was giving general Strika a briefing on the situation that led to Ardan's loss and the near destruction of an infiltration unit stationed there. He wasn't particularly eager to give her the bad news, but considering Darkwing and Dreadwing were in the med bay getting treated, he had to do it.

"That's what Darkwing said-Thunderwing. I had his brain module checked over myself, it's all true." Razorclaw confirmed. "I never thought I'd hear that name again."

"Indeed," Growled Strika. She was a large, heavy set femme, dark purple in coloration with the brains to back up her serious brawn. "Let me be very clear on this, Razorclaw. You will take whatever steps necessary to curtail this…second coming. If entire worlds must burn, then so be it."

Razorclaw nodded. But then he asked the question lingering at the forefront of everyone's minds. "Including Cybertron?"

Strika took a moment to answer. "…Yes. Especially Cybertron."


	18. Stormbringer part 4

Chapter 18-Stormbringer part 4

' _This is how it ends.'_

' _Thunder and spitting lightning, in a storm0lashed onslaught-our past transgressions and blinkered inequities revisited in purging fire and roaring fury. Fate-crushing, inexorable-cannot, will not, be held at bay indefinitely!'_

XXXXXX

"It's Thunderwing!" Flashpoint said. "He's coming back!"

The Autobots were assembled in the Nexus at the heart of Bludgeon's underground base. Having successfully routed most of Bludgeon's group-save for the mech himself-they now had more dire problems at hand. The return of the living storm.

"But we destroyed that Axis-thingy," Twin Twist said, watching Thunderwing's signal beacon travel across a large portion of space rapidly via a foldspace warp. "That was what you said was keeping him going, right?"

"Wrong. I said the Axis cradle was controlling Thunderwing, directing his actions. Without it, some kind of homing instinct must have kicked in." Flashpoint deduced. "There's no conscious mind at work here, I'm sure of it, but that won't stop Thunderwing from picking up where he left off."

Elita-1 struggled to keep her expression from falling. "Springer?"

"The Wreckers stand ready, Elita, but frankly, the combined power of two whole armies couldn't stop it last time, and conditions topside isn't exactly hospitable." Springer frowned. "Thunderwing's got natural protection-we don't."

"Flashpoint?"

"Bludgeon used something he called Ore-13 to re-empower Thunderwing. It's what we detected from orbit. I'm trying to decrypt the files on it, but its slow going."

"Keep trying. Give me something-anything-we can use against it." Elita-1 said. She faced the Wreckers. "We don't quite know how Thunderwing will react or what he'll do once he reaches Cybertron, but he has to be stopped. At any cost." She added softly.

"Any cost?" Springer frowned. He knew exactly what she meant by that.

"If…all else fails, yes." She said. Flashpoint realized what Elita-1 meant.

"Whoa, hang on!" Flashpoint exclaimed. It wasn't something the doctor would normally say, but she's been under a lot of stress over the past few hours. "You're talking about sacrificing Cybertron itself…after all we've been through to preserve it?"

"I pray, Flashpoint," Elita-1 sighed. "That it will not come to that."

XXXXXX

"Divebomb, lock starblitz torpedoes on target and prepare for orbital barrage." Razorclaw ordered.

The Thanatos hid in Solomus's shadow, cloaked from Autobot sensors and hidden from sight as they got into position to carry out what was quite possible the hardest order they've ever gotten to date. No one was happy about possibly scorching Cybertron-their home, their birthplace.

"Timeframe?" Divebomb asked.

"We'll give it…one mega cycle. Call me sentimental, but reducing Cybertron to cinders remains a last resort." He said. "I'm all for pangalactic colonization, but let's face it. There's no place like home."

"Done." Divebomb set the limit on the launch pad. "Abort threshold about fifty-five cycles."

"Fine." Razorclaw clenched his hands, digging his sharp claws into his palms as the anxiety set in. he'll wait for any changes, but if it came down to a choice between blitzing Cybertron and disobeying a direct order from Strika-well, the planet was toast. "Here he comes!"

XXXXX

In a flash of light, Thunderwing's large alt mode appeared from foldspace and flew into Cybertron's orbit, not even stopping as it dived towards the planet near Thunderhead Pass, going mostly on instinct at this point. As it descended on the ancient battlefield, it transformed back to its massive robot mode and crashed onto the ground. Smoke vented from its mouth as it stood up straight amongst the rubble of Cybertron's last major conflict.

Inside a hollowed out hill, Roadbuster was watching the creature's movements with Broadside and Scoop. The large Wrecker was staring hard at Thunderwing through his scopes.

"What's he doing?"

"Nothing, Scoop. Just standing there." Roadbuster said, not taking his eyes off Thunderwing.

Broadside shifted uneasily, giving a shaky sigh. "So this is what Kup meant."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Scoop.

"Those last few seconds before a major battle. The calm before the storm." Broadside said. "The tension before the bolts start flying is damn near unbearable."

Thunderwing stood still like a stature, its haunting gaze still frown in his horrified state that same day he was turned into this force of nature. As it stood on Cybertron once more, it-he-remembered things…images of a previous life flashed through his mind. To a time when he was little more than a mortal, cowering at the feet of alphas like Strika, Obsidian and Shockwave. He remembered how his proposal for saving his people-their people-was rejected by Shockwave in the midst of a global catastrophe. He remembered the rage he felt at having his hard work called unnatural, ill-conceived and misguided. By Shockwave of all people.

Then he remembered the pain he felt as his body was engulfed by the Underbase…felt its power ripping through him…his mind being torn apart, put back together, and torn apart again. A thousand years of pain in just a few seconds…

Remembering the agony he felt as his body was mutated into this hulking beast caused something to snap within Thunderwing. He began to growl, and arcs of lightning shot off his body. His face glowed brighter as he became even more enraged than before as if that were possible.

" **KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Thunderwing gave a bellowing wail and released a powerful shockwave from his body, tearing up the ground around him. Roadbuster and Broadside, with Scoop in his arms, broke cover and ran as the blast wave headed their way.

"Move in! It's just kicked off!" Roadbuster called in.

Seeing the energy bubble from afar, Springer and Whirl both flew in closer and unleashed a rain of plasma bursts and missiles from above. Thunderwing's body vanished behind a wall of flames and ignited phosphorus. But even with the loud booms thundering in the air, that same howl that's haunted Springer's dreams could still be heard over the roaring flames.

"Oh, shut up!" Whirl yelled. "You sound like a dying protoform!"

On the ground, Topspin and Twin Twist were engaging Thunderwing directly. They weaved through his legs, drilling into the thick armor of his legs and feet, trying to take out his stabilization. Thunderwing's face and chest were assaulted by artillery and photon beams from Roadbuster, Broadside and Scoop shooting at him from a fair distance away. Thunderwing growled and raised his arms, clapping his hands together and releasing a powerful shockwave that blew everyone away like vehicles in a typhoon.

XXXXX

On the Thanatos, the Decepticons were watching the rather one-sided battle on their visual monitors.

"They're giving it their all." Tantrum said.

"For all the good that it's doing them." Razorclaw said. Elita-1 was down there with the Wreckers. The Autobot Goddess of Victory was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He knew she had a plan, she knew something, but what? "Time to orbital barrage?"

"Thirty-eight cycles." Rampage said.

Razorclaw tapped his foot, weighing his options. "Fine. Tantrum, mobilize two assault teams. Do what you can in the time available. But once we reach the main firing sequence, pull out."

"Understood."

XXXXX

"…Can't hold it! It just keeps coming!"

"Pointblank-agh! Go…go! Before…"

"…Further tactical resources currently unavailable."

"It's happening again." Elita-1 growled. She had flashbacks to that terrible night when the sky was bright with flames and the air full of the agonized screams of friend and foe fighting for survival. Elita-1 was just getting over her anxiety of returning to Cybertron and now she was on the verge of a panic attack from listening to the screams of the mechs under her command. "Whatever we do, whatever we throw at it just isn't enough!"

Flashpoint waved her hand. "Elita, I may have found something."

"You've decrypted the files?"

"No, I gave up on that. I've been working with the Technobots on analyzing its power source." She brought up a holo-display of pinkish-magenta colored energon. "The so-called Ore-13 contains radically unstable elemental matter. The more Thunderwing draws upon its fissionable core, the greater the obverse catalytic reaction."

"In plain Cybertronian please?" Elita-1 sighed.

"Right, sorry. The source is feeding upon itself. It's only really suitable for short, intense hits. The greater the effort, the faster its' consumed." She explained. "Therefore, we need to engage-big time!"

"With what, Flashpoint?" Elita-1 yelled. "With what?!"

Outside the heavy bombardment that the Wreckers had started was starting to water down. Thunderwing's ionizing of the atmosphere was ravaging their targeting systems and guided projectiles, making most of their long range incendiary firepower useless. Springer and Chromia, who were at the forefront of the assault, were still directing the battle, but their personal shielding was starting to wear down, making cosmic radiation poisoning imminent.

"Damn it!" Springer grunted. "My shields are at nine percent."

"Springer, you need to pull back! We'll cover you!" Broadside said, firing his rocket launcher at Thunderwing's face.

Thunderwing raised his arms and fired intense jets of white hot flames at the Autobots. Chromia heard a hissing sound coming from the cracks in the ground and realized what was going on.

"Those are microwave bursts!" She yelled and started running. "The area is full of gas pockets. They'll-"

She was cut off as nearly a mile of solid ground exploded in a mushroom cloud of flames. The towering pillar of fire was so bright that it could be seen by the Cons on the Thanatos, who were still watching the battle intently. Chromia was blown off her feet by the shockwave and flew nearly 3 feet before hitting the ground face first and rolling across the rough, spiky terrain. She was the lucky one.

"Chromia!" Springer flew in to extract her, but Thunderwing leapt up and grabbed his tail rotor. The monster then threw the triple changer into the ground hard enough to cause the mech to revert to robot mode instantly.

Springer flipped himself onto his back and pointed his cannon at Thunderwing, who roared in his face. It raised a massive fist to crush the Autobot, but Springer was spared when a volley of laser and missile fire hit Thunderwing dead on. Chromia ran to pull Springer to safety and looked up to see two teams of Decepticons-both Seekers and ground units, firing everything they had at Thunderwing.

Their energy attacks and the explosions on both sides were light twinkling stars from a distance. It certainly looked that way from Elita-1's viewpoint as she and over a dozen Overcharge drones rose up from the complex on an elevator lift. Elita-1 herself was decked out with shoulder cannons, protons rifles and wrist cannons.

"Dogfight, are we ready?" She asked.

"Almost, sir…ready!" Dogfight gave a thumbs up after rewiring the last drone.

"Overcharge units, move in!" Elita-1 commanded.

The group of overcharge drones charge forward, firing their plasma cannons and particle displacers at Thunderwing. Proton missiles and concussion bombs were fired at Thunderwing's legs and particle bolts tore into its face without mercy. They didn't let up for a second, and to Elita-1's amazement, the beast appeared to be staggering back from the powerful assault.

" _I'm reading a massive spike in catalytic flux. The reprogrammed overcharge, en masse, are hurting it_." Flashpoint reported from the Nexus.

Thunderwing swung the turbines on its back over its shoulders and fired a pair of wide beams that wiped out a quarter of the Decepticon contingent, but the Seekers still laid down their aerial assault. A well placed shot from Roadbuster in the middle of its back actually caused Thunderwing to double over in pain. They were winning!

XXXXXX

'Primus, they're actually doing it.' Razorclaw thought astonished. "Rampage, time to barrage?"

"We're almost at the firing sequence threshold. If we want to abort, it has to be soon." He said.

Razorclaw looked at the monitor. The combined firepower of Autobots and Decepticons were managing to slow Thunderwing down by the grace of god, no doubt some miracle Elita-1 cook up. He glanced at the clock and saw the seconds ticking by. He dug his claws into his forearm to keep from pacing like a caged lion.

"Sound the withdrawl. Once both squads are aboard, pull us back to minimum safe distance and raise shields." Razorclaw reluctantly ordered and gave a small apology to Cybertron. 'Too bad Cybertron, I'll miss you.'

XXXXXX

Thunderwing gave an engine-like grumble from its chest as it felt exhaustion take over its body. Its limbs felt heavier, and the glow in its eyes dimmed slightly. But it still had enough power to destroy its enemies-to bring pain to those who caused it agony.

"Thunderwing!"

The monster turned towards the source of the shout and saw Elita-1 approaching it-telekinetically lifting a massive piece of iron stone ripped from the ground above her head. She grunted in exertion and threw the boulder down at Thunderwing. It was like watching a meteor hit the planet, crushing Thunderwing underneath and shattering into multiple pieces upon impact. The ground shook hard enough to simulate an earthquake. But Elita-1 didn't relax her stance. Thunderwing had survived worse.

And it survived indeed, bursting from the rubble in a burst of energy that surrounded its form like a creature from hell. But just as it set its sights on her, Elita-1 unleashed a barrage on its form from her weapons all at once.

"Understand, we are all culpable here. All participants in the tragedy that is Cybertron. True, we were so caught up in out war that we didn't notice until the damage was done. True that you saw it coming, but your reaction was misguided at best, inflammatory at worst." Elita-1 said to Thunderwing as she peppered it with high powered plasma blasts and particle beams, not taking her fingers off the triggers. "This planet-or what's left of it-remains a testament to our shortsightedness, a reminder that in war, there are no real winners."

Thunderwing stomped closer and closer to her, moving slower with each step forward. It could not activate any of its weapons, hell it could barely move. And still Elita-1 kept firing.

"Part of me feared coming back here, but in truth, I never left. At long last, I can confront my own demons, acknowledge once and for all my fallibility, my accountability and let the healing begin." She continued. "There will be no retreat, no half measures. I will end the threat you pose to the universe-or die trying!"

Thunderwing was nearly on top of her now, wreathed in flames and burns as it glared down at her. It raised its arms, joints creaking with each movement, and prepared to bring them down on her, but just seconds before it could deal the final blow-it froze.

XXXXX

"Abort firing sequence!"

Rampage quickly pushed the button and halted the countdown just as it was a nano-klik away from launching the torpedoes. The Decepticons aboard the Thanatos all cheered as they saw Thunderwing come to a stop before Elita-1, elated at the defeat of the monster and not having to cut their planet in half in the process.

"Thank Primus it's over." Razorclaw breathed. He had nearly given up all hope at that moment. "Take us back to Charr. We're done here."

Razorclaw looked up at Cybertron through the window and nodded his head in a silent gesture of gratitude to Elita-1. 'She really is the goddess of victory.'

XXXXX

The Autobots crowded around Thunderwing's inert form, with the Technobots running diagnostic scans along its body. Flashpoint attended to the seriously wounded. Elita-1 and Chromia stood observing the process.

"Well?" Chromia asked.

"No sign of even the most basic molecular activity." Lightspeed said. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It's over."

"Is it? Who knows what damage Thunderwing did wherever Bludgeon sent him? And then there's this ore-13, where did that come from?" Elita-1 asked with a hard expression. "I want answers people, sooner rather than later. Because as bad as this has been…I fear there's the potential here for things to get much, much worse!"

XXXXXX

Ember listened to the last of Bludgeon's report on the events that transpired. As always, she was looking out the window, gazing into Charr's hellish landscape. When Bludgeon was finished, she gave a littlee hum.

"So ore-13 has its drawbacks." She surmised.

"Yes, Ember. Its power is its own weakness. One easily exploitable, even by Thunderwing."

"But," She smirked. "It can still be used for other purposes. Or even refined into a purer form. We may have lost Thunderwing for now, but you have planted the seeds within its mind. We're making progress."

"The possibilities are endless, Ember." Bludgeon said. "At least for now."

Ember turned to study Bludgeon's new form and she had to admit that his little gamble with Thunderwing's experiments had paid off.

The polydermal grafting process had been a success, though Bludgeon came very close to losing his sanity like Thunderwing. His body, once little more than a walking corpse of exposed wires and metal, was now brand new and polished. He stood proud and tall, with gold and maroon armor sporting pieces of his newly reformatted alt mode. His face, originally half decayed and rusted, now looked like a pristine white skull with two dark chasms for eyes. Bludgeon had achieved what Thunderwing failed to do, and now he was reaping the rewards.

"We have completed the first step of the Expansion," Ember said. "Now we must focus o obtaining one final piece of the puzzle before commencing with our plans."

"What do you want me to do, Ember?"

"Contact the Reapers. Have them hunt down the Decepticons' little executioner-Sixshot."

XXXXXX

Elita-1 sat in her office aboard her personal shuttle, the Ariel, as it flew back to Orbital Command. Using her telekinesis on such a large object was tiring, and she was still nursing a bad headache from the battle earlier.

"Elita-1, you're got a message from Flashpoint." Reported her comm officer.

"Put her through." Elita-1 said. A second later, Flashpoint's face appeared on the display on her desk. "Anything?"

"Plenty. Seems Bludgeon had been de-archiving some kind of sealed work-in-progress cache. I'm still working on its point of origin." Flashpoint said. "Anyway, he stumbled across something called Regenesis."

"Regenesis?"

"A kind of cosmic seeding initiative. We're missing a lot of why's and wherefores-I suspect Bludgeon deleted a lot of it himself-but ultimately the trail led him to the planet Terra."

Elita-1 straightened up at that. "Terra?"

"The same planet the Ark and Nemesis crashed on. The same planet that's been the source of a lot of strange things lately." Flashpoint frowned. "Coincidence?"

"I'm not a great believer in it."

Terra was really starting to intrigue Elita-1 now. First those Dolem entities that have fought Prime and Megatron's teams, the energon growing from its geology, the odd life forms born from it. So many things have happened on that world, and now this odd form of energon was found on that very same planet. Did Optimus have any idea on what he was involved in? Something needed to be done.

'Perhaps,' Elita-1 thought. 'It's time Optimus got some reinforcements.'

* * *

 **And so ends the Stormbringer saga. Stay tuned for chapters 2 and 3 of Distant Stars and then we'll head into the ore-13 arc of Escalation. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	19. Empowered

Chapter 19-Empowered

Nightshade watched intently as Dreadwing and Skyquake moved the CR chamber holding Megatron's body into place. Knockout was standing close by, ready to take action if Megatron's condition worsened during the transfer. He checked the datapad and was pleased to see that Megatron was still stable.

"All vitals are green, my lady." He said. Nightshade nodded.

"Activate the chamber."

Knockout pressed a button on the small console and energon flowed from the storage tanks through clear tubes into the modified stasis pod. The liquid inside the pod began to glow, bathing Megatron's body in a soft light. Once it was done, Nightshade allowed her body to relax.

This whole operation was drastic and prone to errors. But it had to be done with conditions on the Nemesis worsening. Megatron's body was almost completely healed, but the Nemesis's CR chambers were almost completely destroyed, not to mention there was little energon to fuel the pods, which lead to the Cons coming up with another method of repairing their leader. The construction of a secret bunker in the state of Nebrask, and inside was a CR chamber hooked up to a raw supply of energon. It took a while to construct the bunker and set things up, but everything was in place now.

"So what now?" Skyquake asked.

"Now, we wait." Knockout said, doing a once over of Megatron's vital statistics. "I've already done most of the repairs on his serious damages, and all we can do now is wait for the CR chamber to repair the rest of his body. The energon will help with his power levels replenish themselves once he's fully recovered. Just pray that no one comes knocking while he's asleep."

"Good, because we're at a disadvantage enough as it is. We can barely operate the Nemesis with such low numbers." Dreadwing said. "Has there been any word from Soundwave, lady Nightshade?"

Nightshade shook her head, biting her lip. She lost contact with the Spymaster about a week ago, and the Nemesis couldn't locate his biosignature or that of his proxies, Laserbeak and Ravage. She made up the story about him being on an extended recon mission to learn more about OZ's global operations, knowing that if Starscream realized that one of her strongest allies was MIA, he'll make a power grab that could spark a civil conflict amongst the team. Despite her attempts to stay calm, Soundwave's disappearance had her on edge. Not even Rumble and Frenzy could contact their master. This could've meant two things: Soundwave, Laserbeak and Ravage were either dead, or they were seriously incapacitated. Anyone who could take Soundwave out was dangerous.

Speaking of dangerous… "Knockout, where's Starscream?" She asked.

Knockout scowled at the question, a bit insulted that she would automatically think he would know where that troublesome Seeker was. They only shared a few drinks while chatting about "tiny" schemes to move up in the ranks, and that was all! And it stung all the more because he actually _did_ know where Starscream was, but was forced to cover for him…again. Damn it.

"The Seekers are out scouting for energon in the Midwest. Starscream was bored, so he flew off for something to do." Knockout answered. It wasn't a total lie-the Seekers were always pulling recon duty in search of energon or Minicon panels.

Nightshade narrowed her violet eyes at him. Starscream had been on a lot of recon missions lately, and only half of those missions bore fruit. But the mech himself never seemed too disappointed on his failed missions. She preferred to have a closer eye on him with Megatron's recovery in such a crucial stage, but again, Laserbeak was MIA along with Soundwave and Ravage. And she was hesitant to give Songbird such a job seeing as she wasn't the stealth recon type.

'What are you planning now, Starscream?' Nightshade thought.

XXXXXX

Later one, when he was sure no one was watching him, Knockout had the computer ground bridge him to a remote area in the state of Ozark. Knockout drove a few miles into the barren region before releasing an encoded pulsewave that only he and the Seekers knew. It took only a few seconds before he got his response in the form of Thundercracker and Skywarp, who appeared before him in a flash.

"Knockout? What's the problem?" Thundercracker asked.

"The problem?" Knockout growled. "The problem is that we've just got Megatron hooked up to life support inside a bunker and you three morons didn't show up for added security!"

The two Seekers traded glances and Skywarp stepped forward, "Look, Knockout, sorry we weren't there, but we were a little busy."

"Busy? Doing what? The only thing you Seekers do is fly in circles, lazing around and getting your ass handed to you by Jetfire!" The medic hissed. The Seekers had never seen Knockout this angry before. "I had to cover your sorry tails again by lying to Nightshade. Lying! Do you know how hazardous to my health that is? Now tell me where Starscream is so I can shove my drill up his-"

" _Knockout,"_ Starscream called over the private comm-channel. " _It would be beneficial to all of us if you'd stop being so damn hysterical."_

"Don't tell me to stop being hysterical! You'd be freaking out too if you lied to Nightshade's face. What are you doing out here?"

Starscream was silent and for a moment Knockout thought he was being ignored. Then the air commander said, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to show you. Bring him in."

Skywarp placed a hand on both Knockout and Thundercracker's shoulders and teleported the three of them away from the rocky plains. They rematerialized in front of a small mountain which sported a very noticeable bunker entrance that was poorly disguised to fit the surrounding rocks. The structure itself was only large enough to fit five bots-the average number of a Seeker squadron-and was constructed far from any human settlement. The large doors were strong enough to withstand a (single) blast from Megatron's fusion cannon-just in case the big man came knocking.

The doors creaked open to allow the two seekers and medic entry, and Knockout was greeted by the unwieldy sight of a driller fixed into the ground mainly used for mining energon, he had procured the vehicle for them after in secret but he wondered what the thing was doing out here of all places.

"What is all this?" Knockout asked. "Are you seriously digging for energon here? Underneath your own feet?"

"Yup." Skywarp grinned.

"Please, Skywarp, you're stupid but not glitched. If there was energon here, you would've detected it by now."

"In the case of normal baseline energon, yes, we would have found it already." Starscream strolled into the little cave they called home away from home looking happy as he can be. "But we're not dealing with normal energon."

Knockout gave him a questioning look and Starscream took out the source of his pleasure from his thigh compartment. It was an energon crystal, but instead of the normal blue color, it was glowing bright pink/magenta.

"What is that?"

"No clue," Thundercracker said. "We found this thing in a small cluster mixed together with an energon vein. We don't know what it is, other than being some form of mutated energon."

"But it's special Knockout." Starscream grinned. "This energon is the key to snuffing out Megatron once and for all!"

"Don't tell me you plan on using that yourself." Knockout exclaimed. "Starscream, you don't even know what this energon can do. It could just be some new form of Tox-En that looks prettier!"

"Knockout, Knockout, must you have such a narrow vision?" Starscream sighed. "If you must know, I have already gauged the energon in a test engine, and let me tell you," He gave a wicked smirk. "The results were impressive."

Knockout was handed a test engine by Thundercracker. Its fuel compartment was already full of the processed mystery energon, and he looked at the power gauge. He was surprised to see that the meter was well above its built-in limits. Something that should be impossible.

"What in Solomus's name?" Knockout whispered.

"Amazing isn't it? This energon-this ultra energon-is the key to our success!" Starscream said and held the energon crystal in tightly in his hand like it was Prima's Sword of Judgment. "All I need to do…is use it!"

XXXXXX

Jetfire flew over the northern, mountainous region of Delpoi at supersonic speeds, looking like a white streak against the clear sky. Attached to his wing was Comettor, who was his acting wingman. It was a cruise flight, just a routine recon mission around the country for energon deposits. Comettor was glad that Jetfire heeded his warnings about checking the Helian Air Force flight routes before going out this time. They were nearly shot down by three F-16s when they accidentally interrupted a training exercise. That incident caused such a headache afterwards; he had never seen Prowl so angry before.

His daydreaming was interrupted when his sensors caught something. "Jetfore, I've got a boogey heading towards us. And it's moving fast."

"Any ideas on what is it?"

"No, and I can barely track it." Comettor said. "Here it comes!"

A red blur shot past Jetfire faster than he could process. The Autobot flyer nearly lost balance, but he quickly stabilized himself and transformed to robot mode, hovering in place.

"The hell was that?" Jetfire exclaimed.

"No idea, it was moving too fast for me." Comettor continued tracking the boogey. "It's circling around again!"

Jetfire took out his double-barreled particle cannon as he saw the mysterious flyer shoot at him like a bullet, but at a slower speed. It didn't take Jetfire long to recognize the boogey as Starscream, the devil himself. The Seeker slowed down and transformed to hover in front of his former comrade, smugly looking at him.

"Hello, Jetfire."

"Screamer, fancy running into you on this," Jetfire glanced at the gray clouds around them. "Dreary morning. Wow, where did these rain clouds come from?"

"It's a small planet, Jetfire. Especially for us Seekers. But you're not a Seeker anymore, are you?" Starscream sneered.

"You're right, I'm not one anymore. Thanks for pointing that out captain obvious." Jetfire retorted, a little perturbed by how lax Starscream was acting. And by that strange purple glow in his eyes. "Are you still sore about that? Bugger that was millions of years ago!"

"You know out creed! Seekers are loyal only to each other and you and Sunstone betrayed us to the Autobots without a second thought. And you have the nerve to call me a coward!" Starscream cracked his neck joints. "You've always been an ace flyer, Jetfire, but now I've got the advantage on you. One that's going to help me kill Megatron!"

The speed at which Starscream displayed as he shot towards Jetfire was far from normal. Jetfire had no time to react as Starscream closed the distance between them in seconds and punched him in the face. Jetfire tried to shoot him with his cannon, but Starscream was already flying away from him in jet mode, flanking him, switching forms, and kicking him in the back.

"What's the matter, Jetfire? Am I too quick for you?" Starscream taunted.

Jetfire transformed and fired two heat seekers at Starscream. Starscream grinned and transformed, flying too fast for the missiles to properly track him. The Seeker let them gain on him before flipping over the missiles, switching to robot mode, and shooting them down with his arm cannons. Starscream looked back and saw that Jetfire was long gone.

"Huh?"

An elbow slammed into his head with enough force to make him blackout for a few seconds. Jetfire then unleashed the full power of his particle cannon on him at point blank range, engulfing Starscream's upper body in smoke and fire. At this distance, the intense particle bursts could've melted metal on contact. But to Jetfire's surprise, Starscream, though blackened and scorched, was relatively unscathed.

"Slag." Jetfire cursed.

Starscream grinned. "My turn."

He went into jet mode and zipped around Jetfire quickly flanking him and shooting at him. Jetfire felt the nose of Starscream's alt mode slam into his back and continue diving towards the nearest mountain in a death spiral, their descent increasing each minute.

"This is for all the torment and slag you gave me in the past! I will no longer be anyone's slave!" Starscream roared. "I am Starscream! Rightful ruler of the Decepticons and the universe!"

Starscream waited until they were within breathing distance of the mountain and disengaged from Jetfire. He used the slipstream from his dive to put more pressure on Jetfire's body and let the Autobot slam into the mountain side with a deafening boom. Dust and rocks flew everywhere and Starscream hovered over the area, glaring down at Jetfire's still form with a sneer.

"Tell my sister I said hi when you see her in hell." Starscream growled and flew off in his jet mode.

In the large crater Jetfire laid in, Comettor climbed out from under his partner's body after seeing that Starscream was gone for good. He had managed to negate most of the shock of the impact from his body, but he was still damaged, though not as much as Jetfire. The white Autobot was completely unconscious and not moving at all.

Comettor coughed and called the Ark for a ground bridge. "Ratchet, we need an evac! Jetfire's hurt, and he's in really bad shape!"

XXXXX

Starscream returned to his bunker as triumphant warrior, landing at the doors of his bunker and transformed with a dramatic flare. His Seekers and Knockout were there, and he gave them a cocky grin.

"I just buried Jetfire ten feet into a mountain." He said.

"Yes! I knew you could do it, Starscream!" Skywarp hollered.

"Taking out Jetfire is impressive." Thundercracker grinned. His excitement was no less evident than Skywarp's, but was more subdued. "You snuff his Spark?"

"No, the energon was wearing off by then, unfortunately." Starscream replied. "But the power this ultra-energon provides…it's amazing! Not even the mighty Jetfire could stand against me!"

Knockout stood off to the side, not looking as excited as his fellow Cons. Starscream noticed the medic's unusual silence and strolled over to him. "What's the matter, Knockout? Mad that I get to try it first? You're welcome to try some now if you'd like. It'd do wonders for your ungodly fighting skills."

"No thanks, I'll stick with the low electron variant." Knockout said dryly. "I admit this ultra-energon is powerful, but it has side effects."

"Not this again." Starscream groaned.

"Don't tune me out, Starscream!" Knockout held up the test engine, which was running a lot slower than earlier. "Ultra-energon may be powerful, but once it wears off. You'll be left in even worse shape than before you took it. The engine is barely moving now. The massive power drainage can be crippling to the point of paralysis, maybe even stasis lock. Can you imagine how dangerous that would be if it happened in the middle of a battle?"

Thundercracker gave the energon a look of scorn, his attitude having done a complete turn around after hearing this. "I knew this was too good to be true."

"Knockout, assume that I would not already be finished before the energon wears off." Starscream said slowly. "My enemies will already be dead long before such a thing can happen."

Knockout shook his head. He couldn't believe Starscream was this foolish. Actually…yeah, he could believe it.

"So what now, Starscream?" Skywarp asked. "The trial run was a success so…do we get a taste?"

"Not yet, Skywarp. If all three of us take it at once, then we'll run out." Starscream grinned. "Besides, I think it's time we had some real fun with it."

XXXXXX

Optimus and Ratchet listened to Comettor's report on the surprise attack while Jetfire rested in a CR chamber. He suffered a severe concussion, multiple fractures, a broken arm, and a ruptured spinal column. Thankfully, Jetfire went into stasis on impact, or else he would've been in excruciating pain.

"It was unreal, Prime." Comettor said. "Starscream was like a totally different mech. He was so faster than Jetfire, and stronger to. He took a couple of rounds from Jetfire's particle cannon to the face and didn't even flinch!"

"That's not possible," Ratchet frowned. "Starscream is a good flyer, but he's not that strong. To injure a mech Jetfire's size with ease is…unthinkable."

"But it happened, and Jetfire nearly paid the price for it." Optimus said. "Comettor, was there anything unusual about Starscream? Any sign of physical augmentation or power link he was drawing energy from?"

"None that I could see. But his eyes were a different color, purple. It's not much, but that's the only difference I can tell you."

"That's fine, Comettor. You'd done enough. We'll look into it."

Optimus patted Ratchet on the shoulder and walked out of the room. Ironhide was standing outside the door and walked in line with Optimus as they walked through the halls. After a minute or two, they began discussing the situation at hand.

"Starscream gets a power boost, and then wastes Jetfire like it was nothing." Ironhide surmised. "So why is Jetfire still alive? I know that coward has some serious scrap to grind with the fragger."

"This was probably just a test run to see what he was capable of with his new powers. If it were anything more, we'd be one less Autobot today." Optimus said. They entered the bridge, where Sparkplug and Rollbar were managing things. "Comettor said that Starscream's eyes were purple, not his usual blue. I can only guess that energon is somehow involved with this sudden change."

Some races believed that the eyes were the windows to the soul, but for Cybertronians, it was literal; thanks to a complex network of internal apertures and diaphragrams, your optics were illuminated by your Spark. And of course, the converse was true. There was a belief among Cybertronians that you could tell what kind of energon a bot was drinking based on their optic color. Of course, this was an urban myth-power lines made in a certain color mixed with a certain shade of optical sensors and shutters, determined what color your optics were, regardless of energon. This was put into question with the development of red energon, which changed the bot's eye color and gave them hyperspeed. Obviously Starscream's new firepower had to be attributed to some kind of special energon he was consuming.

"The only way we'll ever find out is if Starscream pops out again," Ironhide said. "And I doubt that's going to be easy."

" **Alert: anomaly detected."** Teletran-1 droned.

"I stand corrected." Ironhide hummed.

"What is it, Teletran?" Optimus asked.

" **Unknown encoded message transmitted. Scans indicate that is it a pair of coordinates."**

Optimus and Ironhide traded a glance. "Can you find out where those coordinates are pointing?"

" **A far off point in the region of Nebrask. It appears to be nowhere near any human settlements."** Teletran-1 said.

Ironhide frowned. "Do we have any units in that area?"

" **Autobot Arcee and Bumblebee are the only units in the area."** Teletran-1 answered. " **They are with human adolescents Kevin Koss and Penelope Pincer."**

"Have them investigate the area, and if things get too dangerous, yell them to bridge back the children." Optimus said. He looked at Ironhide. "Do you think this is a coincidence or something more?"

"I'm not one to believe in coincidences." Ironhide scoffed. "What do you want to do now?"

"We wait and see what comes our way. Until Starscream reappears, we can't do anything else." Optimus answered. All that's left to do is let fate run its course and deal with any problems accordingly.

XXXXXX

Arcee and Bumblebee drove down the freeway in Montanna's country side. Kevin, Penny and Tracer were sitting inside Arcee an incredibly boring game of I Spy, and it was Tracer's turn, the only one who didn't look like she was about to die from boredom.

"I spy with my little eye, something yel-"

"Bumblebee, Tracer. It's Bumblebee. Just like the last four times." Penny sighed. "Really, is that the best you can think of?"

"Would you prefer that I do Arcee next?" Tracer asked.

"Just stop. You guys are boring me, and I'm the one driving." Arcee sighed.

"Well, there's nothing to see out here except the bloody road and a few trees. Can't even see past the damn mountain ridge." Penny huffed.

"Why don't you play around with your PDA, Penny?" Kevin suggested, balancing a tiny flame on his fingertip.

"No signal," Penny sighed, flipping the device in her hand. "Arcee, are all recon missions this boring?"

"Sometimes, if you're unlucky enough. The others were just lucky to get caught up in crazy stuff every time they went out with us. If you ask Gina, she'd gladly trade you for the boring recon after what she and the twins had been through." Arcee replied.

"We usually count moments like these a blessing." Bumblebee said. "If we get through a mission without being hunted, shot at, blown up, drowned, punched or captured without once, it's a personal win for the Autobots."

"Great, we're the B-team then. Even when she's not trying Gina gets all the action." Penny huffed and crossed her arms.

Kevin smiled and patted her shoulder. "No need to go looking for trouble where there isn't any, boo. We've had enough excitement after that Inhuman debacle."

"You might want to rethink that statement, Kevin. I just got a message from Teletran." Arcee's dashboard opened up to reveal an advanced console computer that beamed a holographic map before the children. "It just discovered some coordinates that were sent to us by an anonymous sender."

"No address?" Bumblebee inquired.

"None. It just popped up like that. Optimus wants us to check it out since it's not too far from us."

"Finally! No more stupid car games!" Penny cheered.

"Aww, but I was enjoying out game." Tracer pouted.

The Autobots drove another mile before driving off the highway into the forest. They carefully navigated through the trees before reaching a small clearing where the coordinates indicated. As the kids exited their transports, they saw a small metal hatch just sitting there in the ground.

"That doesn't look like it belongs there." Kevin remarked. Arcee and Bumblebee transformed and walked over to the hatch.

"Stand back, we don't know if this thing is rigged." Arcee warned. "Bee, can you get a read on any booby traps?"

Bumblebee knelt down near the hatch and pressed his audio receptor to the ground. Enhancing his audio array, he tapped the ground a few times and used his sensors to track the vibrations through the ground. It was a little trick he learned from the more experienced Autobot scouts back on Cybertron to detect buried explosives or other devices; using sound waves in tandem with their audio sensors as a form of echolocation to detect anything near the surface. And from what he heard, this hatch leads to something much bigger than he thought.

Arcee noted the look on his face. "What did you find?"

"It's some kind of underground bunker, and it's outfitted with a lot of tech."

"Decepticon?"

"Most likely."

Arcee inspected the hatch. The metal was only a few days old, so it hadn't been there for very long. Whatever its purpose was, it was special, and given their lack of materials, the Decepticons wouldn't have built this if there wasn't some important reason to do so.

"I can check it out for you if ya like, love." Tracer offered.

"Not possible. The Cons are known for booby-trapping places like these. Primus knows what they have down there." The yellow mech sighed.

Kevin caught Penny's expectant glance and frowned. She nudged his shoulder a bit and whined a little, not letting up as she gave him a cute pout. Kevin shook his head and decided to take the plunge. "Penny and I can scout the place for you."

"No way," Arcee said firmly. "Too risky. If they're any Cons in there, we can't keep you safe."

"Then I suppose you guys can use your holomatters, then. Because there's no possible way for the bunker to have precautions for that too." Penny said.

She caught them there. The Decepticons were very thorough in making places inaccessible for Autobots to sneak into places they don't want anyone snooping. Countermeasures would be in place, mainly those of Cybertronian nature. Holomatter avatars would be detected in the heartbeat and alert the entire Decepticon squad, and Tracer's Spark signature would be detected as well before she even got off the ladder. But if they were made to repel cybertronian intruders, chances were that humans would be able to sneak in so long as there were no security cameras.

"Fine, you two can go in." Arcee relented. She held up a finger to stop Penny from cheering. "But at the first sign of trouble above or below ground, this little adventure is over."

"Got it." Kevin nodded.

Bumblebee pulled the hatch open and extended a grappling hook into the opening. Arcee gave the two children comm-patches to maintain contact and glares with scanners. Once they were ready, Kevin went down first, and Penny followed after him. Once he reached the bottom of the ladder, Kevin ignited a flame in his hand.

"This place is huge." Kevin noted. "We should probably stay together in case something happens."

"I'm flattered, Kevin, but I can take care of myself." Penny reached into her bag and pulled out a small crossbow and a couple of arrows-real arrows with pointed tips and everything.

Kevin blinked at her weapon of choice. "Is that a-"

"Yup! A crossbow, with personalized crossbow bolts to go with it!" Penny grinned. "Gina helped me make it. What you see here is a pistol-class crossbow with a magnetic rail loading mechanism for ease of reloading and composite carbon fiber, Kevlar and titanium-reinforced fiberglass torsion bow with a polypropylene cable assembly."

She failed to tell him that the bolts were custom made by Gina as well-each one was tipped with its own special ammunition utilizing a four-sided quarrel type fletched bolt. Such ammunition included explosive warheads, diamond-toothed grapple hooks, sonic stunner bolts, taser bolts and knockout gas bolts. The ones she had with her now were the explosive bolts she brought along just in case something came up and she needed to pop someone for a quick getaway.

"It takes all that just to operate?"

"Nope. But it doesn't hurt to come prepared."

"…All right then." He shrugged and gave her the rundown. "We split up. Just point the scanner at anything and everything. The Bots will analyze the data later."

Penny took a deep breath and fingered her crossbow's grip. "Understood."

"And Penny," Kevin gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Be safe."

Penny watched Kevin walked down the hall, his flames the only source of light he had. Her flushed cheeks felt warm and her lips spread into a smile that threatened to split her face open. She pumped her fists in the air and jumped with joy. "Yes! Progress!"

XXXXXX

Starscream watched as the driller dug deeper into the ground. There was still more ultra-energon to be found if he wanted his plan to be successful. Megatron's death was close, but he had to play it off as the result of someone else…namely the Autobots.

"Starscream," Thundercracker walked up to him. "We've two Autobots at the bunker, Arcee and Bumblebee."

"Hmph, I was hoping for heavy hitters like Optimus Prime or Prowl." Starscream muttered. "But no matter. You and Skywarp head over to the bunker and…take care of the Autobots."

"What about the bunker?" The blue seeker asked, though he had a strong feeling on what the answer would be. "The ground won't be able to handle an airstrike on it."

"Alas, there are unaccounted casualties in war, one that we do not foresee." Starscream gave a mocking sig. Then he glared at his subordinate. "Bury it."

XXXXXX

The bunker's interior was large and there were no lights to indicate where she was going. All she had was a flare to act as her light source, but that didn't help as Penny could barely see more than a foot in front of her. Clutching her crossbow tightly, Penny cautiously walked down the massive corridor, her tiny footsteps echoing loudly.

" _Penny, you doing okay?"_ Kevin asked through the comm.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied. "Not much to see here though. How about you?"

" _Same here. It's hard trying to find your way around when anything important is two stories above your head."_ Kevin said. " _I'm guessing you're having the same luck?"_

"Yea-wait, hold the phone." Penny stepped in front of a large pile of green, translucent pods that were haphazardly scattered across the floor. It took her a minute to realize that the pods were not scattered, but were connected to some tree-like rack. "I found a large rack or something. It's made of metal and has these weird pods hanging off the stem."

 _"_ _Anything in them?"_

"Not that I can see, but I think they were used in storage." Penny pointed her flare at the pods, seeing that all but one was open. "Wait, I found one that's closed. And it looks important…"

" _Penny wait! Arcee said not to touch anything!"_

"How can we get things done if we don't take risks?" Penny smiled. She felt around the pod for something, like a button or a level she could pull to open it. Luckily she found one and pressed it. "Aha! Got it!"

The pod popped open with a hiss and released a cloud of green smoke from being depressurized. Penny coughed and waved the smoke away to peek inside. Once the smoke cleared, the large object the pod was holding was revealed…a corpse.

"Ahh!" Penny screamed and scrambled back until she hit the wall.

 _"_ _Penny! What's wrong?"_ Kevin yelled. " _Did something happen? I'm comi-"_

"N-no, I'm fine." Penny gulped. "Stay where you are."

She slowly approached the pod. The corpse was nothing but bone having long since been decayed. She noticed that it was wearing a military officer's uniform, and judging from the amount of stars and ribbons on the front, it belonged to a high ranking military official. Penny forced herself to calm down and explained the situation to Kevin.

"I think I found something important." She muttered, recording everything she saw."

" _Penny, don't try to act tough. I know you're scared, so just-"_

"Stop it, Kevin. I said I'm fine. I-I can handle this." Penny gulped.

She walked through a narrow space in the wall near her, ignoring her crush's warnings to rendezvous back with him. Penny knew that if she stayed still for too long, the shock of finding a human corpse would catch up to her and she'd be a sobbing mess, so she kept on moving despite her mind telling her this was a big mistake. She wanted to prove to Kevin that she could be brave to, and she didn't need superpowers to do it.

XXXXXX

Outside, Arcee and Bumblebee were still waiting patiently in their alt modes. It was close to half an hour now, and Tracer was starting to get antsy.

"Bored now." She sighed.

"What's taking them so long?" Arcee asked. "I'm getting a bad feeling here."

"How bad?" Asked Bumblebee.

"Like we're about to be-move!"

The two Autobots transformed and jumped aside to avoid the four bombs that hit the ground, sending smoke, dirt and flames shooting into the air. Tracer hid under a tree and saw two fighter jets, one blue and one purple, soar overhead with thunderous booms. Thundercracker and Skywarp.

"Of all the times!" Bumblebee growled.

"We have to get them out. Those guys aren't attacking us," Arcee said. "It's the bunker they're after."

"Autobots sighted, just as planned." Thundercracker said.

"Good. Let's unleash hell on them!" Skywarp said.

Arcee and Bumblebee transformed with Tracer in tow and drove through the forest with a trail of explosions chasing them. Tracer radioed the children even though she could barely hear her own voice over the detonating bombs behind her.

"Kevin, Penny, abort!" She shouted over the noise. "Get out of there now!"

" _What's going on?"_ Kevin asked.

"Two Seekers are trying to bury the bunker. You two need to make for the exit point!"

XXXXXX

"Got it." Kevin replied and started running back the way he came. He was thankful for having the foresight to leave scorch marks on the walls to act as his trail of breadcrumbs back to the entry point. "Penny, you get that?"

"Yeah, but I just need to check out one more thing." Penny said. She slid down a dirt mound and squeezed through a small opening between two large doors.

" _Damnit Penny! We don't have time for this, you need to leave now!"_

Penny tore off the comm-patch and placed it on the ground before heading inside the room. She hated making Kevin worry like this, but she was a girl who gave 120 percent into anything she did, no questions asked. Penny grunted as she finally got through the door, but froze stiff as she saw something standing in the center of the chamber. A towering silver goliath with bright red eyes that were staring right at her. A familiar face she never thought she'd see again.

It was Megatron.

XXXXXX

Arcee and Bumblebee swerved to avoid getting blown to pieces by the cluster bombs Thundercracker and Skywarp were dropping on the area. At this point, much of the forest was cleared by the inferno brought about by the Seekers.

"What are they doing?" Tracer asked, trying not to fall out of Arcee as the pink femme weaved around the trees and falling bombs.

"Excavating," Arcee grunted. "They'll continue bombing the place until it all caves in. we've got to get the kids and-move!"

They split up as Skywarp appeared in the sky above them firing his laser cannons. Bumblebee transformed and took out his blaster, firing at Skywarp to keep him away. He shot multiple laser bolts at the oncoming Seeker, and he managed to clip Skywarp's wing before he was forced to duck.

Arcee and Tracer took cover behind a tree to avoid Thundercracker's missile strikes. As the blue Seeker flew in close, Tracer flashed in the open and tossed a flash grenade at his nose. Thundercracker's sensors were momentarily blinded by the bright flash of light, disorientating him. His wings cut into the treetops and he crashed to the ground.

Arcee drew her sword and walked over to him. "This is the part where I wish I had a big, ugly-"

A missile hit her in the chest and she crashed into the tree trunk behind her. Thundercracker pulled himself up with a grunt and gave her an obscene hand gesture he learned from one of Knockout's dramas.

"Get fragged, pinkie." He growled and switched back to jet mode and flew away.

"Cee!" Tracer and Bumblebee ran over to Arcee. She was sitting against the tree with a nasty smoking hole in her chest plate where the missile hit her. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm operational." She coughed. The scout helped her to her feet. "Just got caught off guard."

"You're losing your touch." Tracer joked.

"Shut up." Arcee looked up at the Seekers circling over the area. "They aren't coming back?"

"No. Looks like we're aren't their prime target." Bumblebee said.

The Seekers continued their carpet bombing campaign, dropping a seemingly endless amount of bombs onto the underground bunker. The ground shook from the force of the explosions, the natural foundations trembling violently until it became too much for it to handle. Tracer yelped as she felt the ground start to crumble and sink.

"Scrap, its happening!" Bumblebee exclaimed.

"Where are those two? We don't have time!" Arcee said.

XXXXXX

Penny had never had the chance to see Megatron up close. Aside from Nightshade, Lugnut and the other Cons at a distance, she only had a chance to see a quick glimpse of the Decepticon leader before Sara whisked her and Kevin away from the chaotic battle he initiated with her friends. She heard stories from Darren and Annie, who fought Megatron before, how strong he was, how scary he was. Penny knew that the Decepticons were terrifying all on their own, but she just thought that he was just another warlord hyped up by the Autobots, like every other despot in history.

But seeing him there, just a few feet in front of her, looming over her like a towering monolith, she now understood why the twins were so afraid of him. It was dark in the chamber, and the only thing she could see was the light of the CR chamber reflecting off his silver armor and his red eyes glowing as they glared down at her. Penny felt like a deer being stalked by a predatory cat, nowhere to run without being run down and eaten alive. This guy…he was on a completely different level.

Then the room began to shake and rocks and dirt began falling from the ceiling. Megatron vented steam from his nostrils and broke his gaze to look up the cracking infrastructure. When a boulder hit the ground inches from her foot, Penny knew it was time to leave and she ran back through the corridor.

Megatron remained where he was, even as the cave began falling around him.

At the entrance, Kevin was already climbing up the ladder, though he waited for Penny.

"Kevin are you up yet?" Arcee asked.

"No, I'm still waiting for Penny! Is she up there with you?"

"No. Kevin, come on up, we'll wait for her a little longer, but we don't have any more time!"

Kevin climbed to the top of the hatch, where Arcee, Bumblebee and Tracer were waiting in vehicle mode. The area around them was shaking and sloping downwards into a growing ditch that threatened to consume them if they didn't leave immediately.

"Kevin, the bunker's falling apart, we can't wait any longer!" Bumblebee said.

"We're not leaving Penny, Bee!" Tracer said.

Arcee gave a frustrated sigh. "Kevin…"

"You can leave if you want, but I'm not leaving without her!" Kevin shouted. "She'll never leave me behind, and I'll never leave her!"

"That's the sweetest thing you've ever said about me, Kevin…"

"Penny!" Kevin and Tracer cried out as they ran over to the hatch and looked down to see the girl trying to climb the rope. "The shaft is filling up!"

The ground sunk even deeper and soon everyone began to lose their footing. Penny kept her eyes and mouth closed as a stream of dirt fell into the hatch, almost dragging her down as she struggled to climb back to the surface. The tree the rope was attached to was nearly uprooted, but Arcee was quick to push it back so that Penny could have some leverage.

Tracer held on to Kevin as he leaned into the hatch and held out his hand for Penny to grab. She stretched her arm as far as possible, grunting in exertion until she could feel his fingertips. After some struggling, they clasped hands and Kevin yelled for Tracer to pull. Penny was hauled out of the ditch and into Kevin's arms. Tracer dragged both of them into Bumblebee's alt mode. He and Arcee drove as fast as they could away from the growing pit which was once a lush forest.

XXXXXX

Thundercracker and Skywarp circled over the region they just carpet bombed. Nearly a kilometer of forest had been incinerated by the bombs, and then collapsed as the bunker underneath fell to the constant pressure being exerted on it. They were sure that it had been destroyed-along with Megatron.

"Not gonna lie, Thundercracker," Skywarp said. "That was extremely satisfying."

"Glad you feel that way, Skywarp, but you forgot the Nightshade is still around." Thundercracker said. "If she learns what he did here-"

"Don't worry so much! Starscream has this in the bag. Besides, the reward's worth the-huh?"

The pair saw something moving in the pit. They thought it was just more earth collapsing, but a powerful purple particle beam shot out of the pit straight up into the sky. Once it dissipated, the Seekers saw a large gunmetal grey form burst from the soft earth and emit a mighty roar that could be heard for miles.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"It's Megatron!" Skywarp exclaimed. "Call up Starscream, we've got a problem!"

Megatron glared up at the Seekers, eyes burning with rage. "Traitors!"

Skywarp wasn't fast enough to evade the fusion blast Megatron fired at him. The beam tore apart the right side of his alt mode and he lost balance immediately. Pain blinded his senses as he dived to the ground, hitting the dirt nose first and skidding to a painful stop.

At the edge of the trench, Arcee and Bumblebee saw the gory display with a mixture of awe and fear.

"Is that…?" Kevin asked.

"Yes," Arcee said grimly. "Megatron. He's alive."

"And he's mad as hell." Penny pointed out.

Megatron looked at Skywarp's broken form, then at Thundercracker, who wisely flew out of range for his own safety. He could try to shoot him down, but there was someone who was far more deserving of his ire.

"Starscream." He growled.

XXXXXX

In the Seeker's bunker, Grid, Starscream's Minicon, was waiting for his partner to charge up on ultra-energon. Starscream had just hit gold and was now in the CR chamber having the energon absorbed directly into his circuits, a more direct, but risky method of juicing up on energon.

"We didn't get him, boss," Grid said, his body caught in its usual twitching spasms. "Big M shot down Skywarp and he's calling you out."

" _Starscream! We've really done it this time!"_ Thundercracker's voice yelled from the console. _"_ _Megatron's on a death run and we're all his targets. We need to-"_

"Stand and fight!" Starscream walked out of the CR chamber, his entire body emitting a dull purple glow. He cracked his neck and took a deep breath, feeling rejuvenated and strong, a euphoric feeling for one as deserving of this power as he was. "Of course he'd heal just as we try to bury him. No matter. I'm ready for him! No more scrounging around for energon, no more scrambling after the Autobots and their pets! This is our future, and I am its catalyst!"

He charged up his weapons and grinned. "Megatron is history. He just doesn't know it yet."

XXXXXX

Megatron climbed out of the trench and looked around for anyone else who needed a good thrashing. He was glad to finally be free of that dreamless limbo, but waking up to a human snooping around your feet and your soldiers trying to bury you didn't do his temper any favors. Only one mech was stupid enough to attempt such a thing.

"STARSCREAM!" He roared.

A ground bridge appeared and Nightshade and the rest of the Decepticons exited the vortex. Megatron curiously noted the addition of some new faces on the team, Dreadwing, Skyquake and Demolishor, and the lack of some older ones, namely Soundwave and Barricade. Nightshade went to go to his side, but he stopped her with a glare.

"Someone better tell me where Starscream is," He growled. "Or I will personally massacre every last one of you!" He turned his glare to Thundercracker. "Starting with you!"

Thundercracker gulped, weighing his options between loyalty to his brotherhood and facing imminent death at Megatron's hands. It wasn't hard to make the decision. He was just about to tell Starscream's location when he saw Starscream's jet mode shooting at them like a comet.

"Cowards, all of you!" Starscream yelled. His exhaust left a purple trail behind him as he shot over his enemies. "Megatron is nothing but argonized steel and polymer sinew, just like us. He is no god! He can be killed!"

Starscream fired two missiles at Megatron and the projectiles hit their mark, engulfing him in flames hot enough to melt a tank. Demolishor went to help his leader, but Nightshade stopped him. This was Megatron's fight.

Out of the flames, Megatron fired his fusion cannon repeatedly. Starscream, empowered by the ultra-energon, easily dodged the powerful blasts, laughing all the while. But one beam nicked his tail fin, and he realized that it wasn't worth getting shot down for his show boasting.

"How about we finish this on your level!" He cackled and transformed to robot mode, diving straight for Megatron at Mach 2 speeds.

A deafening boom filled the air as Starscream slammed into Megatron, punching him into the ground. the Seeker commander gave him no time to act as he grabbed Megatron's arm and threw him across the length of the trench in an amazing feat of strength. Megatron, battered and dirty, hit the slope of the trench with a deep thud, but his face remained stoic and unmoving.

"What's the matter, Megatron? Still tired from your beauty sleep?" Starscream taunted. He fired his laser cannons repeatedly at Megatron, bombarding him with laser bolts and armor piercing explosive shells that would tear through a weaker bot. "Thanks to ultra-energon, I have evolved beyond you! I am the future, and you, just like my sister, are the past. Reap what you sow you fool!"

Starscream didn't let up on his assault until he exhausted his shells. He bent over and vented a cloud of stem from his mouth to cool down his systems. But despite his exhaustion, he was smiling. He had done it, he had finally killed the mighty Megatron with his own two hands!

"That was intense," He panted. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to-"

Starscream froze. Megatron, dirty and slightly damaged from the onslaught of explosive fire, was standing up relatively unharmed. He got to his feet and rolled his shoulders, his eyes betraying the satisfaction he got from Starscream's horror.

"No prizes for guessing what comes next." Thundercracker muttered.

"N-no, you should be dead!" Starscream stammered. "This isn't how it was supposed to happen!"

"You are a disgrace, Starscream. You spend all this time planning, all this time scheming, and a simple power boots is your best plan of action, along with trying to bury me?" Megatron gave a scathing laugh, though his eyes showed his growing fury. "Pathetic. You couldn't even must the courage to kill me yourself when you had the opportunity!"

Megatron stalked towards Starscream, unsheathing his arm blade. "You've done us all a crime, Starscream. You've placed your own interests above those of the imperium. And that is an offense I cannot let go unpunished."

Starscream tried to back away and shifted into jet mode to fly away, but Megatron closed the distance between them in a flash. He grabbed Starscream's wings and threw him to the ground, slamming him against the dirt and forcing him to revert back to his robot mode. Starscream shifted his arm into his null ray, but Megatron's grabbed his arm and tore it off. Starscream wailed and clutched his sparkling stump.

"You've made an unwise decision, Starscream. But worry not, I intend to show you the error of your ways the best way possible," Megatron raised his blade. "Through pain."

He dashed forward and stabbed Starscream in the torso and slashed his arm bisecting the Seeker at the waist. Before his upper body could even fall, Megatron fired his fusion cannon and vaporized Starscream's left arm. Starscream fell to the ground in pieces, alive but in great pain. His work done, Megatron faced Grid, who was scrambling away from his partner's severed arm.

"W-wait, lord Megatron," Grid whimpered. "I had no idea what he was doing. I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen to me! You know how he is!"

"Yes," Megatron pointed his fusion cannon at the Minicon. "I do."

Grid had no time to scream as he was wiped from existence by Megatron's fusion blast. His death was quick, painless, and inconsequential to Megatron.

Nightshade chose this moment to step up to him. "Megatron…"

"Take his remains to the Nemesis," Megatron ordered stiffly. "Make sure that he remains alive. He, and his cohorts, need to stand trial for their crimes."

"Yes, sir." She nodded. She looked up and pointed at the Autobots. "What about them?"

Megatron looked up at the two Autobots. "Leave them be. We need to see to ourselves first."

Nightshade nodded as she and Dreadwing gathered Starscream's body parts. Skyquake cuffed Thundercracker and Skywarp was being dragged through the dirt by Demolishor. As his troops vanished into the ground bridge, Megatron gave the Autobots one last glare before entering the portal as it disappeared.

"That…was intense." Kevin breathed. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest.

"Y-you could say that again." Penny gulped. She was still holding onto Kevin and wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon. "What does this mean for us?"

"It means," Said Arcee. "That things are about to heat up again. And as usual, we're going to be stuck in the middle of it all."

"So what do we do now?" Bumblebee asked.

"Let's go home." She said. "We'll deal with this later."

The two Autobots drove away from the war torn forest with their exhausted passengers. With Megatron back in the game, things were definitely going to escalate very quickly. Unfortunately, they had no idea how fast things would heat up, nor of the ramifications of Starscream's discovery…of Ore-13.

* * *

 **And so begins the ore-13 arc. Thanks for readings this chapter and sorry for the long wait. I hope you love it and please leave a review!**


	20. Infiltration part 1

Chapter 20-Infiltration part 1

Megatron hated Terra. That was no secret, since he hated everything from the native species to the dolems hiding in the bowels of the planet, and it wasn't the first world to earn his ire, but Terra ranked very high on his list. Terra was the site of some of the worst failures in his military career, and some of them weren't even caused by the Autobots!

Nightshade had spoken to him in private, telling him about the major events that had occurred since his defeat at Optimus's hands during the hate plague incident; Flamewar's defection, Barricade's death, the arrival of some much needed reinforcements and the attempted assassination of his SIC via the Insecticon swarm. The most worrying was Soundwave's disappearance during a recon mission. Nightshade was still blaming herself for that.

"Soundwave was investigating possible Decepticon activity on Delpoi," She informed him. "I sent him alone at his insistence to spy on them to see what their motives were. He was having dreams prior that, and he figured that the Cons in question were the cause behind it."

"And these soldiers made no attempt to contact you?"

"No. Soundwave figured that they were a rogue group sent here for something other than us. Dreadwing had mentioned the Decepticons being split between Shockwave and Ember."

"Ember?" Megatron's face morphed into a truly terrifying scowl that made Nightshade step back. He recognized the name, and she did too. The name of the femme that had ruined his life and nearly derailed his revolution on Cybertron. "How is she in power over MY Decepticon?! What the hell is Shockwave doing? I told him to maintain order and here I discover our forces are fragmenting!"

"It's a mix between the troops' general distrust of Shockwave and his growing obsession with his experiments. Strika is keeping the peace among the majority of our forces with Obsidian, but Ember," Nightshade shook her head. "It's like the incident with Calamity all over again."

Megatron was enraged by the sad state of affairs of his army on and off Terra. With Soundwave either MIA or KIA, they were in a precarious position. Someone was trying to wipe him from history and they were doing a pretty damn good job of it to. He had to do something before he lost the war due to infighting among the Decepticons.

"Tell me about this ultra-energon." Megatron said, looking at the tiny pink energon crystal on his desk. "Has Thundercracker been cooperating?"

"Without hesitation. He told us a lot about this energon, how Starscream had stumbled upon it and used it to increase his innate abilities. He even said that Starscream was able to best Jetfire in combat."

"Some good it did him." Megatron snorted. "Still, this energon is rather odd. It's strange enough seeing energon sprout on this world as it is, but now we have a mutant strain of energon growing alongside it? This planet is full of surprises."

"Indeed," Nightshade nodded. "Thundercracker said they located eleven distinct seams, but there could be more."

"No wonder Starscream saw fit to advance his own cause." He noted. "Still, one can't help but wonder if-at some point, in the history of this world-evolution had a helping hand. Whatever the case, its presence here could be decisive."

"Starscream was planning on initiating his infiltration protocol once everything was said and done. He already replaced around half a dozen human officials in the Helic Republic with facsimiles. Do you want me to issue a recall?"

Megatron thought about it. "No. Since Starscream went through all the trouble setting the stage for us, it'd be rude not to perform." Megatron grinned. "But where Starscream saw vainglorious self-advancement, I see total long term victory. The staged process here must be advanced. Perhaps even," He held up the ultra-energon. "Accelerated."

Nightshade nodded, noting how menacing Megatron's maniacal grin looked in the dim light of the ultra-energon.

XXXXXX

Penny Pincer was a girl who had big aspirations in life. She was fearless, defiant in the face of certain death (Megatron) or in the face of attrition (Prowl). But one thing she hated other than being treated like a helpless wallflower, it was being scolded by Gina. Over the past month as their relationship upgraded from that of natural predatory alpha females to that of frienemies, Penny had found herself seeking Gina's respect and admiration, with vice versa being the same. Just two girls joining forces in the name of science and discovery.

At the moment, the girls were working on doing maintenance checks on the Minicons' blasters-without the Autobots knowing of course. Sure, Gina, Darren and Annie had these high tech Talos, but they were often caught without their mecha one too many times, and their pilot exo-suits could only provide so much protection. Always be prepared when Cybertronians were involved. Gina was teaching Penny how to make one using Minicon components as well as repair them, while simultaneously scolding her for her rash actions during the last eventful mission.

"I still can't believe you and Kevin did that." Gina said as she snapped the photon accelerator in place above the ammo clip. "When the Autobots tell you to run, you run. No ifs ands or buts about it."

"I know, I know, Kevin gave me the same lecture when we got back." Penny frowned. It was embarrassing getting scolded by Gina, who had her own history of acting irrationally in times of crisis in the name of exploration. The two had an unspoken pact not to put themselves in unnecessary danger willingly just to one-up each other. They had to put a limit on their scientific curiosity at one point.

"As long as you understand that we can't take risk anymore. Things are starting to heat up since the hate plague incident, and it feels like both sides are being run ragged by without even fighting each other." Gina sighed.

"But did you see what we recorded in that bunker?"

"Yeah, I watched it with Wheeljack."

"Then you also saw the…body." Penny muttered.

Gina nodded grimly. "I did."

"Was that…man a prisoner of theirs or something?"

"Not exactly," The blonde answered. "That was a facsimile-a biotechnological clone grown in fusion tubes."

"Clones? They can make clones of us now?" Penny gaped.

"Look like us, think like us. Even implanted with false memories taken from the original subject." Gina explained, thinking back to her conversations with Ratchet. "They don't even know they're artificial until their masters call on them."

Penny licked her dry lips. This was more chilling than she thought. "Was that body I saw one of them?"

"That was probably the original. Ratchet told me facsimile are prone to malfunctioning, so when they breakdown, the Cons grow another one. I'm guessing they left that alone too long and he…"

"Okay," Penny nodded, trying to fight down her sickness. "But what are they even used for?"

"Infiltration." Sara answered, surprising the girls with her sudden appearance. "Standard procedure of Infiltration Protocol Phase Two: agitated global confrontation. As the native species tears itself apart, the Decepticons siphons as much natural resources as they can until nothing is left."

Penny didn't know why she was surprised by this news, considering deception was literally the Decepticons' name. She didn't think those band of war mongers were capable of anything other than utter destruction and mass genocide, but when she really thought about it, it made sense to avoid wasting time and energy fighting an open war with an alien species.

Gina had went on to say that the Autobots were on high alert, as this meant that the Decepticons were initiating their infiltration procedure, and international disputes were probably going to increase as a result. Why they suddenly chose to do this when Megatron avoided starting the plan after reawakening in 2006 was a mystery, even to Optimus. And until the fireworks started, they had no way of knowing who was the wolf in sheep's clothing.

XXXXXX

There was always bad blood between the Union of Yuktobania and the Fato Federation. Fato had been a subsidiary of the larger Yuktobania nation, but after the second world war, it had gained its independence following the defeat of the fascist Belkan scourge. Even though there was a treaty between the two nations, a cold war of sorts was being waged culturally and technologically. At this point, the non-aggression treaty between them was worth less than the paper it was written on, and all that was needed was one, just one, spark to light the fires of war.

Thundercracker and Skywarp flew across the outer, mountainous regions of Yuktobania's territory, where their designated target was located. They weren't sporting their usual blue and purple coloration, rather they were clad in the designated colors of the Yuktobanian Air Force, bright gold and purple. A clever color alteration to fool the simmering warriors on the other side of the border.

" _Talk to me, Skywarp,"_ Megatron said over their comm.

"We're approaching the location and we're all set." Skywarp reported. "Just give the word."

" _The word is given, Skywarp. Do not disappoint me again."_ Megatron growled and cut the link.

"Right, yeah. Skywarp out." He sighed. "I'm telling ya, Thundercracker, he's definitely got it in for me, for all of us!"

"Can you blame him?" Thundercracker replied. "We did aid Starscream in trying to overthrow him. You even had the gall to lock weapons on him! You're lucky he only shot off your wing and didn't hesitate to blast a hole in you."

Skywarp grumble. "Meh. It could be worse, I suppose."

They saw a hephaestium mining facility near the Yuktobania/Fato border. Getting straight to business, the two Seekers opened their bomb bay doors and dropped their payloads of cluster bombs right on top of the plants. There was a bright flash and a loud boom as a building full of raw and semi-processed hephaestium exploded in a towering pillar of white hot flames. Almost immediately, Fato forces mobilized and began firing on the two jets, but they were already flying out of range of their anti-aircraft guns.

"We could be Starscream." Skywarp continued.

"Lord Megatron," Thundercracker called. "It's done. The facility is destroyed."

At the Nemesis, Megatron smirked at the good news. "Excellent. The Yuktobanians will be blamed and tensions in the area-already at their breaking point-will rise!"

Beside him, Dreadwing and Skyquake awaited their orders. "Orders, lord Megatron?" Dreadwing asked.

"Dreadwing, see to it that our puppets dance to the tune they were taught. Do not improvise."

The brothers saluted their leader. "Yes, lord Megatron."

Megatron smirked before looking back to the hologram of Terra floating in front of him. Things were going well for once, though with wildcards like Flamewar and Airachnid in play, he refused to let himself become too lax. The War for Terra has entered its second phase-escalation, and he didn't want to be defeated by rogue elements from his own army.

This ultra-energon could be the element he was waiting for to turn tide in this war. He just needed the opportunity to test it out on the Autobots-and what better way to do that, than by catching their attention with an international war?

XXXXXX

"Rath!" Alexi Rabirov, squad leader of Fato's 17th talos division, ran up to his fellow ensign, who was loading up in a jeep enear their camp. "Rath, what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" Rath said stoically. "I'm leaving."

"Rath, these rumors of a deal between Belka and Yuktobania mean that now-more than ever-the others need reassurance-no, action!" Alexi stomped over to the man with a hard look. "We've lost too many good people. We can't just roll over!"

"Alexi, Alexi," Rath sighed. He patted his comrade's shoulder. "Who said anything about rolling over? We fight for the bitter end to teach those Yuktobanian dogs a lesson. As for action first, trust me when I say it's coming."

"With that said, Rath got into his jeep and drove off, nodding to his fellow soldier before disappearing into the snowy forest that layered Fato's northern territory.

Rath was careful to stay close to the border as he drove further up the national line, careful to avoid any prying eyes as he stopped at an abandoned Yuktobanian outpost. He parked next to the old shack and looked up at his true masters.

"Rath Koska, your little insignificant war is about to escalate into a full scale international incident.""

The seasoned general looked blankly up at the towering forms of Megatron, Demolishor and Thundercracker, not afraid at all at the sight of these intimidating giants. Leader-1 stood at Megatron's feet holding a grey blaster that looked like it was crafted from Megatron's armor.

"When we are done here, Rath Koska," Megatron said to Koska, or rather, the facsimile that was Koska. "The world will forever be changed. Leader-1, if you please."

Leader-1 nodded and walked up to the facsimile, holding the blaster. It was a small weapon, even by Minicon standards, but the blaster was much more powerful than outward appearances showed.

"Koska, you have the unprecedented honor of wielding a weapon in my name." Megatron said. "Use it well."

"What's a tiny thing like that supposed to do?" Thundercracker asked.

"It's a weapon made from the ultra-energon that we found. It's supposed to be more powerful than baseline energon, even when compressed into a compact form." Demolishor said. He motioned to Koska. "Watch."

Koska looked at the gun in his hands before pointing it at a nearby oil line and pulled the trigger. Thundercracker's surprise was immediate as he saw the gun fire a beam more destructive and larger than a weapon its size should produce. The blast ruptured the oil line and caused an explosion that echoed throughout the region.

Megatron smiled. "With their primary oil supply line severed the Yuktobanians will not be long in investigating. Koska, gather your rebel force."

Koska bowed his head and got into his jeep. "Yes, lord Megatron."

"Demolishor, Thundercracker, make yourselves scarce."

The two mechs nodded and transformed in their alt modes-Thundercracker into his usual F-15 jet mode, and Demolishor into a Fato Federation T-14 battle tank, with modifications of course.

"What about you sir?" Demolishor asked.

"I'll alert the others to prepare for our debut performance." The warlord grinned. His eyes glowed, not red, but an ominous purple as he cracked his joints in anticipation. "The Autobots will be upon us soon, and we must be ready to show them our newfound might."

Megatron was riding on a high right now-the rush of ultra-energon running through his circuits. He had a mad grin as he walked off in pursuit of his biggest victory on this accursed rock. The Autobots will get their due punishment for all the humiliation they put his Decepticons through. Death would be a mercy.

As for Leader-1, he escorted Koska to a ridge near the border, where Songbird had reported seeing a battalion of Yuktobanian tanks rolling towards the oil reservoir. They waited patiently as the tanks drove through a small canyon in single file, perfect targets in a shooting gallery.

"Can you be sure the Yuktobanians will respond in kind?" Koska asked. "They may seek a diplomatic solution."

"You are not the only facsimile in play here, Koska." Leader-1 chuckled. "As we speak, speeches are being made in Brasnya, where necessary pressure will be brought to bear. Nothing has been left to chance."

"And when they come? In the experience of this individual, such confrontations usually end in a stand-off."

"When they come? Hehe," Leader-1 shook his head. Typical facsimiles, they always lacked imagination. "Koska, what do you think Demolishor is here for?"

Down below, General Todorof raised a hand to signal the tanks to stop. "Hold position here!"

"Now what?" His lieutenant sighed.

"You're new, aren't you, Breski? Otherwise you'd know what." The general said. "We hold position, the Fato troops hold position. Eventually the politicians agree to some kind of mutually face-saving compromise and we all go home."

Breski wasn't convinced. "Thing is, general, I've been around the capitol. Long enough to read the signs and right now none of them are good."

"Trust me, I've been a commissioned officer for sixteen years and haven't yet fired a shot in ang-"

The tank behind them exploded in a fireball, blasting their jeep over and sending the two officers to the ground. The attack had come from Demolishor, who was shooting long range shells from his position atop a snowy mound, just out of the Yuktobanian tanks' range. He fired another shell and destroyed the left side of another tank in the line.

"They're firing on us!" The general yelled into his radio. "Confirmed? Who else could it be? We have Fato armor firing on us!" he ducked his head as a tank shell shot over his head and blasted apart a tree trunk just a foot away from him. "Sir, I need a direct order here!"

Fortunately, his commanding officer didn't waste any time in ordering a counterattack. "Understood. All units, fire at will!"

XXXXXX

"Optimus," Prowl said. "We've got something."

Optimus stood next to Prowl, who was analyzing a map of the Europa continent in the command room. The tactician had called the Prime over as soon as he discovered a hot spot near the Yuktobania/Fato border.

"Federation tanks where they shouldn't be in response to an unauthorized air strike on a Federation hephaestium plant courtesy of two Yuktobanian fight jets." Prowl explained. "There's a crisis brewing, an armed confrontation in the offing. As it is, the smaller nations are already taking sides."

"Anything about it say Decepticon?" Optimus asked.

"Big time. Teletran-1 hacked into satellites over the area and caught this. This is the initial flashpoint," He brought up an overhead image of a man firing a gun with a huge burst of energy shooting from the weapon-too big for a weapon that small. "Now let me show you with a resonance overlay." The image switched to thermal imaging, showing the immense energy readings from the blast. "Recognize the discharges?"

"Energon."

"Exactly. And this man," Prowl pointed to the man holding the gun. "Is Georgi Koska, head of a militaristic splinter faction of anti-Yuktobania radicals. Considering how he single-handedly attacked a military garrison with that weapon, it's safe to assume that the Decepticons are involved."

"Which means that he's probably a facsimile." Optimus deduced. "Megatron isn't pulling any punches."

"Considering how long he's been in stasis, I don't blame him." Prowl commented. "Action?"

"Stamp out the flames. Locate the Decepticons and keep their attention on us as we secure the facsimile." Optimus ordered. "Prowl, ready a strike team."

XXXXXX

Prowl had gathered the Bots most suited for the mission at hand-Arcee, Jazz and Wheeljack, to accompany him and Optimus on this mission. The others were placed on standby, despite protests from Ironhide and Moonracer on not being chosen to come. Thankfully they didn't cause too much of a fuss. Everyone was focused on the task at hand, knowing full well that a war could start if things didn't go their way.

They took a ground bridge to the region of Fato where the conflict was taking place, just out of sight of any human forces.

"Prowl, take your team to the perimeter and await my signal." Optimus said. He collapsed into his alt mode and connected his trailer, which was his mobile command base. "Once I draw out Megatron, move in and isolate the target. Immobilize ant local traffic, but do not engage. We don't want to make matters worse."

Optimus drove into the forest as his team also reconfigured into their alt modes. Prowl warmed up his engine. "You heard him. Let's move out."

The operation was two-fold: drive away the Decepticons and capture the facsimile intact. Its genetic template was the key to location any other constructs that may be hiding on the planet. Optimus knew that the only way to do that was draw out Megatron and keep his attention.

What puzzled him was why Megatron was beginning his infiltration plan so late in his campaign. The Autobots and Decepticons had been awake on this world for close to two years now, and Megatron made no move to actively start widdling away at the planet's defenses-presumably because they lacked the adequate resources for a prolonged conflict. Not to mention rogue elements like OZ and the dolems causing their war to grind to a halt on some occasions. Centuries of fighting Megatron had told Optimus that the Decepticon leader had something big planned.

XXXXXX

"Optimus, we've found the facsimile." Prowl reported. He and the other Autobots were sitting on an outcropping in vehicle mode. "He's with Leader-1 and Search."

"Understood, I'm on my way."

Optimus increased his speed, thankful that his tires were durable enough to survive driving over the snow covered sharp rocks. He followed Prowl's coordinates and saw the facsimile with the two Minicons driving away from the battle.

"Target sighted." He announced.

Search noticed Optimus coming at them and stopped short. "We've got company."

"Koska," Leader-1 said. "You know what to do."

Koska nodded and raised his gun at Optimus. But before he could pull the trigger, there was an explosion against the side of the jeep that sent the facsimile and two Minicons flying and crashing into the snow. Jazz and Arcee drove down the slope of the mountain firing their alt mode weapons. Prow and Wheeljack were keeping their position on the other side of the valley.

"Jazz, Arcee spread them out. Don't give the Minicons a moment to reorganize themselves." Prowl ordered. "Once you have an opening, Wheeljack and I will swoop in and secure the facsimile."

"Roger that, Prowler. We're on it!" Jazz said.

Leader-1 tried to fire his twin pulse cannons, but they alone did little to halt the advancing Autobots. Search made to transform and add some firepower, but Leader-1 stopped him.

"Don't bother, we're not even annoying them!" He growled. "Koska, begin self-termination."

Koska's body began to twitch and convulse before he began stumbling towards the chaotic tank battle. In the scenario where the Decepticons were unable to terminate their false constructs themselves, all facsimiles had a program that had them terminate themselves to avoid capture. It was essentially suicide and it was made to look that way to any onlookers.

"Damn!" Prowl cursed and drove down the slope with Wheeljack. "It's going to destroy itself! Wheeljack, take it down!"

"Readying nerve paralysis pulse." Wheeljack brought out his cannons from his hood compartment and prepared to immobilize it on contact.

Neither he nor Prowl were expecting the entire mountainside to go up in flames before them. The pair were suddenly assaulted by a pair of green and blue jets flying low to the ground firing missiles at them-Dreadwing and Skyquake. Alternatively, Jazz and Arcee were caught under attack by Thundercracker and Skywarp respectively. In the chaos of battle, Koska continued slowly trudging through the snow towards his programmed death.

"Optimus, it's getting away!" Jazz yelled.

"Ratchet, send in Jetfire and Bumblebee!" Optimus commanded.

XXXXXX

Inside the trench he was hiding in, General Todorof was yelling at his units to stop firing. He was trying to get the situation under control, but he couldn't do that with both his men and the Yuktobanians firing shells at each other. Then the attacks suddenly stopped and the battlefield finally went quiet, allowing him to gather his thoughts. When he looked over the trench, he saw what caused both sides to stop firing and gaped at the odd sight before him. His lieutenant crawled up next to him.

"What is it, General?"

"The Fato tanks have stopped their shelling…and I can see why." Todorof said. "We are no longer the only combatants in the area."

Through his binoculars, he saw quite possible the strangest sight in his career. Two jets, two F-16 Raptors of Helic manufacture, were being shot at by some kind of rally car with two cannons sticking out of its hood and a police car. Not far from that was a white striped sports car and pin convertible duking it out with two more unknown fighter aircraft.

"I...do not understand." Breski said, totally confused.

"Neither do I, Breski. Neither do I." Todorof replied. "But I have a feeling we'll find out soon."

In the battle, Prowl was trying to reach the facsimile, but Dreadwing kept pouring on Vulcan fire on him to drive him back. Trying to fight a jet in car form wasn't easy, but with the soldiers' eyes now on them, no one could break their cover and expose themselves to two armies of heavily armed humans with trigger fingers. "Jazz, Arcee-report!"

"We can't get in close!" Arcee said. "Every time we try to make a break for it, Skywarp cuts us off!"

"They're doing just enough to contain us. Keep us from going after the facsimile." Prowl grunted as a missile hit the ground near his back wheels. "I'm going in full burn!"

"Prowl, you won't make it!" Wheeljack said.

"We don't have a choice, we need to go after it now!"

Prowl swerved and sped up to his limits towards Koska. Skyquake saw this and flew after him, moving at speeds close to breaking the sound barrier. He thought it funny that the Autobot thought he could outdrive him-a Seeker. He locked onto Prowl and prepared to fire his hear seeking missiles when he heard a battle cry from above.

"Sneak attack!"

Two particle blasts tore into Skyquake from above, hitting his left wing and afterburner. The green mech was caught off guard and thrown off balance, losing altitude and hitting the ground nose first. Prowl saw Jetfire circling above him.

"Jetfire?"

"I've got your back, Prowler. Go for the prize!" Jetfire hollered.

Prowl focused on his mission, driving at full speed straight for the facsimile. He was just two feet away from the clone and was almost on top of him when he noticed something yellow heading his way. Then he felt himself hit something hard. Koska jumped aside as Prowl and Bumblebee collided with each other hard enough to revert back to robot mode and crashed into the snow.

Todorof saw the sudden conversion of the two Autobots and at that moment, he knew what he was dealing with. It was something more than what his military salary could handle. "Get me a raio! I'm calling this in!"

"What is it? What do you see?" Breski asked.

"Nothing." Todorof answered stiffly. "This is general Todorof, fourteenth infantry. Get me a secure line to Major Akurin. Priority Alpha 94." He waited for a reply, but all he got was dead static. "Hello? Does anyone copy?"

Todorof had no idea that the Decepticons had set up a small radar array in a hidden area-essentially turning the entire region into a dead zone. It wasn't anything major, but any signal that wasn't of cybertronian nature wasn't getting out or in. this was a private affair between mechanical warriors.

"Prime, this is Jetfire. Comettor just picked up a flashpoint over your area." Jetfire reported. "No human signals are getting in or out, and the local news feeds are jammed. It's a dead zone."

Optimus rolled to a stop as he heard the familiar sound of tank treads tearing up the ground at high speeds heading his way. "I think I know why, Jetfire."

A silver tank smashed through the trees and drove right off the cliff above him, reshaping itself into a massive robotic figure as he slammed into the ground. Megatron glared hatefully at Prime and bashed his fists against his chest.

"Prime!"

XXXXXX

Skywarp reappeared from his latest warp over a group of destroyed tanks and hunted for any Autobot signals. He wasn't expecting to have Jazz and Arcee open fire on his unprotected form with photon rifles and laser pistols that tore into his unprotected fuselage.

"That's a nice trick, Skywarp, but it gets old very fast." Jazz grinned.

"Especially when you don't have your buddy protecting you." Arcee said.

"Ow!" Skywarp broke contact with the two Autobots and flew off from their fire. "Thundercracker where the hell are you?!"

"He's indisposed of!"

A missile hit Skywarp's underbelly and the Seeker felt his systems freeze up and malfunction on the spot. Another shell hit him and he felt his jet form get pierced by millions of tiny sharp filaments that he recognized immediately.

"Not this again!" Skywarp cried as he crashed through a couple of trees before hitting the ground in a tangle heap of shredded metal and smoke.

Wheeljack drove up to him and lightly kicked his side. "First blue, now purple. We've got two Seeker down on my end."

"All that's left is Dreadwing and Skyquake." Arcee called Prowl. "Prowl, did you get Koska?"

"No," Prowl grumbled as he pulled himself out of the snow. "I would've had him on ice if someone hadn't stuck his yellow aft in the way!"

"Lay off! I said I was sorry." Bumblebee grunted. "It's not like he'll go far."

"Bee, that facsimile is in the form of general Koska of the radical separatists," Prowl said. "Those are Yuktobanian troops he's heading for. They'll shoot him on sight!"

Bumblebee turned towards Koska, who was stumbling into the no man's zone between the two warring sides, out in the open with no natural protection.

"Oh slag!"

XXXXXX

"It's been too long, Optimus Prime." Megatron growled, snorting steam from his nostrils. "It's been too long since I really cut loose. Let's finish this now, Prime!"

Megatron fired his fusion cannon at Prime's truck mode. Optimus dodged the beam but was knocked off his wheels for a second as the explosion rippled throughout the area. It was much more destructive than the usual power output his cannon had.

"See that, Prime?" Megatron smirked. "That's my new power, courtesy of Starscream's arrogance. And I intend to put it to good use in killing you!"

"It seems to me Megatron that the power has gone to your head!" Optimus said. He transformed into his robot mode and the built-in armory in his back opened up to deploy his ion cannon. He snatched it out of the air as it unfolded and he fired back at Megatron. "The Megatron I knew was calm, measured and controlled, not some raging braggart hell-bent on exposing our presence to this world!"

"Calm doesn't win battles, Prime, force does!" Megatron replied, grunting as he took an ion blast to his chest. "As for witnesses, trust me when I say that none will be around to tell the story!"

Optimus ducked under a plasma blast that vaporized four trees behind him. "You always know what to say to bring out the best in me!"

He fired another blast and saw it shoot straight into Megatron's fusion cannon, causing the power to back-up and explode the barrel. Megatron snarled and tore the damaged cannon off his arm. "I need no weapons to kill you, Prime. Bare hands will suffice!"

As the smoke cleared, he saw Optimus charging at him and took a hard uppercut to the chin that sent his large form flying back and crashing to the ground.

"Fine," Optimus said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's dance."

XXXXXX

Prowl and Bumblebee raced towards the facsimile of general Koska, who stood before the Yuktobanian troops waving his arms and proudly declaring his loyalty to his country, essentially making himself a target.

"Death to the invaders!" He yelled. "Glory to Fato!"

"One of us'll have to run interference." Bumblebee said. "And no offense, Prowl, but I vote for you to get shot at."

"Yeah, thanks."

The soldiers took aim at Koska, but before they could open fire, Prowl expertly swerved in front of the facsimile in car mode. Bullets pounded against his alt mode but the Autobot ignored the stinging as he saw Koska running the other way. Bumblebee appeared in his path and lightly bumped into him, knocking him to the ground. The soldiers pointed their rifles at the scout, but Prowl stood in their way.

"You'd be well advised," Prowl said, transforming to robot mode in front of them. "To lower your weapons and go home."

"Please, listen to us!" Bumblebee said. He gave Prowl a look to get Koska as he spoke to the soldiers. "What occurred here is not your fault nor the Federation's, but of an outside source. No one is to blame, but this is not general Koska. You have been deceived."

The soldiers stared wide eyed at the two Autobots and for a second, Prowl thought they'd start shooting. He was pleasantly surprised, and relieved, to see the captain order his men to stand down and pull back their forces. Bumblebee gave the man a thankful smile and gave a shaky breath as the tanks and soldiers left the area.

"I didn't think that was going to end so well." He laughed.

"Nice job." Prowl said. He had the facsimile in his arms and restrained. "You've always had a way with words."

"Comes with the job."

"Prime, target contained and, I think, the geo-political crisis diffused somewhat. We're done here." Prowl reported. "Prime?"

Arcee's voice came through instead. " _Prowl, Optimus is fighting Megatron and the fight's going south!"_

XXXXXXX

Optimus crashed through some trees, smashing into the ground and kicking up a cloud of snow and dirt. His body was heavily damaged from his continued altercation with Megatron, who looked in better shape than him at the moment. As he stood up, Megatron leapt at him, and he rolled to the side to avoid another punch that left a deep hole in the ground.

"How's it feel, Prime? To finally know what true power looks like?" Megatron asked. "See how the balance of power has shifted? It's only going to get worse from here-"

Megatron cut himself off as Optimus threw dirt into his face, and the Prime grabbed him around the waist. Megatron tried to punch him, but Optimus held on tight as he slammed him into the ground.

"The only thing that's changed Megatron is that your voice box has loosened!" Optimus grunted.

"You can't keep this up forever, Prime. But I can fight forever!" Megatron laughed.

Optimus kicked him into a tree and stood over his face, raising a large fist to punch his face in. "Oh really?"

"Really. You won't believe the things I can do now. Things like this!"

Megatron opened his mouth wide, like a snake unhinging its jaw, and fired a powerful beam that hit Optimus in the face. Prime stumbled back, clutching his burning face, blind and in pain. Megatron stood up.

"You and I have a lot of history, Prime." He said. "So I'll do you the honor of making this quick…"

Megatron sprinted forward and punched Prime in the chest. Optimus felt the blow ripple through his body, shattering the window panes on his chestplate and rumbling his circuits. Megatron then shot his other hand forward, stabbing his fingers into Prime's chest, wrapping his fingers around Prime's Spark core.

"If not excruitating!" Megatron said over Optimus's pained groans. "I told you I'd kill you here!"


	21. Infiltration part 2

Chapter 21-Infiltration part 2

Rebecca Howard was a woman known for her exceptional talents in the scientific field, most notably robotics. Having developed a gift for technology at an early age, her work on creating the world's first operational prototype robotic prosthetic that uses brain waves and neural transmissions to move the limb itself. Her essays on the impact of such prosthetics on the human mind and body were borderline revolutionary, and as she continued her work, many were clamoring for her product, mostly those in the military theatre.

But another field she excelled in was AI development, and it was for this that she was recruited by Skywatch. When they first contacted her, she was understandably wary of the stereotypical suits that approached her, but mostly she was wary of the man leading them, Seymour Simmons, who spoke to her and tried to sell this offer like a business deal. He said it was an offer she would not refuse. Rebecca was never a fan of shady government types considering there were many who sought to use her research to create weapons of war, especially against the esper population of the country (go to hell Galloway), so naturally she was never a fan of them.

Then Simmons had taken a gamble and showed her a glimpse of Skywatch's crown jewel of their research into alien activity on Terra-the Ice Man. A 35 foot tall robotic being found frozen in the Arctic by explorers in the mid-1800s. Rebecca was amazed at this world changing discovery and agreed to join Skywatch for a chance to study this magnificent being frozen in purgatory.

Of course, things were rather calm since she joined, as she spent most of her time either looking up reports of giant figures popping up all over the world and studying the Ice Man to keep herself from going insane. It was worth getting that stupid tracking chip stuck in her arm to study that creature. But then on one fateful day, Agents Keller and McCourie arrested a group of children on a camping trip, and then the horrific massacre that followed at the hands of the same robotic beings Skywatch had been investigating all this time. Rebecca was lucky she made it out alive, but most of the personal didn't, and she had no idea if the kids that were dragged into the base were still alive too. Since that incident, Skywatch had been on full alert, monitoring the globe for any signs of what some of her superiors deemed "robotic invaders". Any sign, no matter how small, was to be looked into, as no one was taking chances.

One such discovery had her driving towards an archeological dig in Eureka, Nebrask, where an old associate of hers was waiting. She saw the archeologists and the dig team being held outside the police line, angry at the government stooges that swooped in and stole what had to be a year's worth of work. Rebecca felt bad for them, but the world was not yet ready for what they discovered.

She parked her car next to the black vans, where a handsome man in a black uniform was waiting impatiently for her. She paid him no heed as she got out of her car and walked to the excavation site.

"You took your time." He said.

"I was in the middle of analyzing data for Agent Red, Alex," Rebecca sighed. "I'm not some robot at your beck and call."

"Stow the attitude, Howard. We have work to do."

She sighed and reigned in her temper. Ordinarily, she wasn't so hostile to people, but Alexander Powers was a man who had the gift of making her fuse shorter. Like Agent Simmons, Powers was a Skywatch field commander who often did Skywatch's dirty work to protect the planet from alien incursions. He took his job very seriously, and had no qualms about sacrificing anything for the good of the human race-even their relationship.

They entered the large tent, where a tea was hard at work uncovering the massive robot-which looked gigantic and terrifying in equal measure-that was mostly buried in the dirt. The robot's head alone was the size of a fully grown man, and its face was monstrous enough to give a weaker man nightmares. Standing at the edge of the dig site was another co-worker (not friend) of Rebecca's, a middle aged man with a red beret on his head and short black hair. His black sunglasses only made him look more like a cook who spent too much time in his head than in reality. Another agent who took his job seriously, probably even more so than Powers, but on another level.

"Simmons, Howard is here." Powers said.

"Good to have you on site, doctor. Sorry to drag you out here into the dirt, but this was something you had to see." Simmons said.

"I don't regret coming here, Simmons. This find is certainly something to see." She said, looking down at the frozen mechanoid.

It was bulky, with grey and black armor with some red and yellow along the hands and chest. Its head was black, with a red visor in place of eyes and a black mouth plate. Seeing that face reminded her of the blue robot that nearly killed her back at the base and she shuddered at the memory. She could barely sleep a full night after that slaughter.

"I admit, it's impressive, but it's nothing I haven't seen before." She said.

Simmons gave her a grin she hated so much. It was his "I know more than you and I love it" grin. "Then maybe you'll be pleased to hear that there are four more of these things buried along with this big guy."

"Excuse me?" Rebecca said.

"There are five in total according to our geological scans." Powers said stiffly, glaring down at the inactive mech. "Five opportunities to find a way to fight these invaders once and for all before they can do some serious damage."

"And some new tech to try out." Simmons said giddily.

"Sir," An agent poked his head into the tent. "The natives are getting restless."

"Bah!" Simmons waved him off. "Let them bark. We've hit a goldmine here, and I do not intend to let anyone else get it. Skywatch is taking over," He smirked. "In the national interest of course."

Powers nodded. This was Skywatch's chance to gain the initiative against these invaders and possibly find a way to fight them on an even basis that didn't involve throwing numerous talos pilots into Death's jaws.

The three agents had no idea they had come across the inert form of one of the most powerful Autobots in cybertronian history-Grimlock of the Dynobots.

XXXXXX

Megatron grinned savagely as he squeezed Prime's Spark core in his hand. Never had he thought that ultra-energon could actually allow him to best Optimus Prime so easily in battle. He'd be disappointed if he wasn't so elated.

"This is how I like it," He whispered to Optimus. "Despite the long-range weaponry at my disposal, I prefer things up close. I like seeing the light die in my enemy's eyes as they fade. Just like now."

Two missiles hit him in the back, surprising him long enough to drop Optimus's body like a piece of unwanted scrap and spin around. Unhurt by the attack, Megatron turned to see Jetfire flying above him. He smirked as he saw the other Autobots approaching. More lambs for the slaughter.

"Hear me Autobots-Optimus Prime is dead!" Megatron declared. "The final victory in this long and bitter struggle belongs to Megatron! Kneel before me or share his fate!"

"No," Arcee whispered in horror, staring at Optimus's battered form. "It can't be."

"See for yourself." Jazz said grimly. "Optimus is down and out."

"We can still save him!" Wheeljack said, running forward and firing a shell from one of his shoulder cannons. It hit Megatron right in the middle of his chest, but it barely pushed the warlord back.

Megatron smirked as smoke rose from where he was hit. "I almost felt that."

"Damn it! Jazz, Wheeljack, take him down!" Arcee shouted. They all unleashed their weapons on Megatron, firing their blasters, photon rifles and plasma cannons at maximum power. Even Nightshade would've been severely damaged by the full powered assault, but Megatron wasn't even budging from his spot.

"Scrap. Prime's down and it looks like Megatron might be hopped up on the same stuff that Starscream was juiced on." Prowl said.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Bumblebee said, holding Koska in his arms. "Let's go!"

"Nah ah," Prowl raised a hand. "You're calling Ratchet for a ground bridge."

"What? But I'm needed here!"

"What's needed is that facsimile's genetic template." The tactician replied. "Otherwise, everything we've done here would be for nothing."

Bumblebee looked at Prowl as he collapsed into car mode and sped towards the scene of the chaotic battle, leaving the scout along with his passenger.

"Jazz, Wheeljack, Arcee-I'm inbound!" Prowl called in. He really hoped to Primus that Optimus wasn't truly dead and just in stasis lock. Because if he was, then this was as good as finished along with this planet.

XXXXXXX

Optimus Prime felt his consciousness hover in an empty void. He didn't know where he was, possibly in limbo-the intermediate plane between life and death. At least…he hoped so. Prime knew that Megatron had dealt him a fatal blow that would most assuredly mean death for him-but alas, the warlord underestimated the power of the Matrix.

At the moment, Optimus was using the Matrix to anchor his spirit to the waking world-relying on its ethereal energies to heal him just enough to allow him to move. He knew what he was doing was incredibly risky, as using the Matrix in this manner could cause some unintended side effects, but he wasn't going to leave his Autobots to Megatron's mercy.

What's this? The stays that surrounded him (he thought they were stars, but one can never be sure in a realm where dreams and reality meshed so finely) began to move, swirling together to form a shape. He felt another presence in this limbo of his-one cloaked in a tangible and numbing dread. This presence, it felt eerily similar to the aura the Cardinals emitted, and the first thing that came to mind was his brief meeting with Jubileus, the Dolem queen that declared her war against all Cybertronians on Terra.

For a moment, fear grips him as its gaze washed over him. This felt similar to the Dolem queen, but it was less intense and almost…familiar. Optimus felt his body fading and knew that he was about to regain consciousness, and as he left the void, he realized that he knew this entity-and it knew him.

XXXXXX

Prowl came upon the battle and saw nothing but pure chaos. Jazz, Arcee and Wheeljack were shooting at Megatron with everything they got, but to no avail. Jetfire was dropping cluster bombs down on the Decepticon leader and fired two missiles at him amidst the scorching flames. Only his particles cannons seemed to hold Megatron back slightly.

"Fall back!" Prowl shouted. "Back off now!"

"It's no use." Arcee growled. "Our weapons aren't working on him. He's damn near unstoppable!"

"I could rush in and do some slicing and dicing." Jazz said. "That might do the trick."

"Not an option." Prowl said as we ran over to them. "If Megatron was strong enough to best Prime in close combat, then he'll have no trouble tearing you in half. Thanks to Prime, he doesn't have any long range weapons at his disposal, so we keep him at a distance and give it everything we've got."

"That's your plan? Shoot at him until he's worn down?" Wheeljack asked.

"You got a better idea?" Arcee retorted.

Megatron waited impatiently as the Autobots focused on their plan of attack and frowned. "Are you Autobots going to fight or are you choosing this moment to plan Prime's funeral? If you won't deal another blow, then be kind enough to die like a bunch of animals!"

Megatron fired a plasma beam from his mouth at them. They scattered, but the resulting explosion knocked Jazz off his feet. Megatron lunged forward and almost grabbed Jazz, but Jetfire transformed right above him and rammed both feet into his back, slamming Megatron into the ground. Jetfire added to the attack by spewing blue flames from the boosters on his heels into the warlord.

"Come on!" Jetfire yelled, pushing his boosters to their limits. "Just die already!"

The intense flames scorched Megatron's armor, but Megatron wasn't too damaged otherwise. He grabbed Jetfire's feet and spun him around, slamming Jetfire into the ground. Wheeljack fired another shell from his shoulder cannon that exploded against Megatron's shoulder joint, but the warlord retaliated by throwing Jetfire at him. Wheeljack and Jetfire both collided with each other with enough force to crush an eighteen wheeler and both Autobots were sent crashing through multiple trees.

Jazz jumped on his back and fired his photon rifle into the back of Megatron's head. Megatron grunted and grabbed Jazz's gun arm, ripping it off with a yell and threw him into the ground. Prowl ran at him from behind with his exploding shuriken, but Megatron used Jazz's body as a bat, whacking Prowl in the face with his comrade before punching him in the face hard enough to almost dislocate his jaw.

"Pathetic. I expect ore from you Autobots," Megatron sneered, throwing Jazz to the ground and stomping on his chest. "Where are your heavy hitters? At this point, your human pets could put up a better fight!"

An orange particle blast hit the side of his head, making him stagger back from the force of the attack. Prowl had shot him using Jetfire's particle cannon, but all he did was piss him off even more. Arcee limped over to him and took out her rapiers.

"You aren't doing anything to him, Prowl." She told him.

"Neither are you." He said.

Arcee pursed her lips and raised her swords. "Well, if we're going down, then at least we're going down fighting."

Prowl and Arcee fired their weapons at Megatron, who wasn't slowing down at all. He was almost on them now, and was weathering through a barrage strong enough to tear a weaker Con in half with ease. He reached down to crush Prowl's head in his hand, but he suddenly felt a presence behind him.

"Megatron…"

Megatron turned around to see the inside of a cannon barrel in his face.

"Burn."

The Decepticon leader's vision was blinded by a painful combination of fire and light as Optimus Prime pulled the trigger.

XXXXXX

" _Bumblebee? You're leaving the combat zone already_?" Ratchet asked. " _Are you hurt_?"

"Just a little scrambled, but nothing serious. But Prowl and the others need my help ASAP, so send me a bridge, quick!"

Seconds after he made his request, a ground bridge appeared-in the air. Nightshade flew out of the portal, shooting her missile dart feathers at him. Bumblebee cursed and ran from her, shielding the facsimile with his body.

"Ow!" He grunted as three darts hit him in his back and left leg. The explosions nearly made him drop to his knees, but he forced himself to keep running. "Ratchet, hurry!"

This time, his ground bridge appeared before him and the scout made a run for it. Nightshade increased her speed and she transformed in mid-flight, planting her feet in his back and slamming him into the ground. She took pulled out Gandiva, but Bumblebee kicked her legs from under her to knock her down and got to his feet. Nightshade cursed and fired an arrow just behind his feet. The explosion it caused licked the scout's back and he gritted his teeth as he jumped into the portal, flames still burning his armor. Nightshade tried to fire another arrow into the portal, but the bridge vanished just as she pulled the string back.

"Scrap." She muttered. "Megatron, I lost the facsimile. Megatron?"

XXXXXX

Megatron hissed as he rolled on the ground, clutching his face, which was still burning painfully from the point blank shot he took from Prime's ion cannon. Even with his ultra-energon enhancements, it still hurt like a glitch. What made him even more incensed was that Optimus was still alive, just barely. Time to fix that little oversight.

"Ngh," He grunted in exertion as he pushed himself to his feet. "I'm not…finished…damn!"

He fell to his knees as his body was overcome with an overwhelming feeling of pain and exhaustion. He felt all the power slowly leave his body as the ultra-energon began to drain from his system, and all the pain and injuries he shrugged off earlier came rushing back at once. It overloaded his senses and he could barely think straight as his body was wracked with unspeakable agony.

"What is…happening to me?" Megatron wheezed, twitching painfully.

"Unfortunately, Megatron," Optimus panted. "The power you have harvested…comes at a price."

"Autobots," Prowl raised his gun. "Finish him."

They advanced on the warlord, who could not get his body to move despite his best attempts. "N-Nightshade!"

His call for help was answered as Nightshade, Dreadwing and Skywarp appeared above them. Dreadwing transformed and drew his sword, slashing at Prowl to force him back. Nightshade fired her missile darts to drive the other Autobots back. Skywarp placed a hand on Megatron's shoulder.

"Get him out of here!" Nightshade shouted.

"No!" Arcee leapt at them, but Skywarp and Megatron were already gone in a flash of light. With their leader teleported to safety, Nightshade and Dreadwing quickly disengaged and transformed to their aerial modes, flying off in a hasty retreat.

With the immediate threat gone, the Autobots rushed towards their leader, who could barely stand on his own feet. Optimus almost fell over, but Prowl caught him just before he hit the ground.

"Prime, are you alright?" Prowl asked.

"Megatron-knn-nearly crushed my Spark core." Optimus said in a garbled voice. "I need some time in the CR chamber."

"Ratchet, we need a medevac, stat. Prime and Jazz are hurt." Prowl called in.

"What about," Prime's voice fizzed out for a second. "The facsimile?"

"I sent Bumblebee ahead with it, but I don't know if it's still intact."

" _Bee is in the CR chamber recovering from the beating Nightshade gave him before he reached the ground bridge."_ Ratchet said.

"And the facsimile?"

At the Ark's med bay, Ratchet looked down at the smoking puddle of green go that used to be the general Koska Georgi. "I'm sorry, Prowl, but it caught some flak…it's gone."

XXXXXX

Director Joshua Red walked through the doors of one of Skywatch's major facilities in Washington. The man didn't stop or look away as he was approached by one of the organization's top agents, Tom Bancheck.

"It's confirmed," Red said. "I just got word from out contact in Yuktobania, Major Akurin. Terra has been invaded by more NBEs, and they're here in numbers."

"You think they're looking for our ice man?" Bancheck asked as they walked together to the command center.

"Who knows? But two large ones just battled in full view of two armored battalions." He replied. "What's our status?"

"Simmons' team reports that the Eureka excavation is on schedule. As for our two friends here, they're alive and active."

"Good. We need them to see just where the other robots are, Bancheck." Red said seriously. "This situation has just escalated beyond covert operations."

Bancheck nodded as they entered the research lab, where multiple people were working on various projects. The director knew that something big was about to go down, and he wanted to be sure that Skywatch was ready to step in if the situation spiraled out of control.

They paid none of the scientists and technicians any mind as they walked deeper into the lab up to a hexagonal pit that held two of their most recent discoveries dug up from the bowels of Mount Saint Helens. Both men looked into the deep pit at their captive aliens. At the bottom of the pit, restrained by chains made of adamantium, were the cassette bots, Laserbeak and Ravage.

* * *

 **And that's the ore-13 saga! Up next, the Autobot get some much needed reinforcements, and Optimus has a long overdue reunion. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!**


	22. New Recruits

Chapter 22-New Recruits

It had been almost two weeks since the incident in Yuktobania, which nearly ended in Optimus Prime's demise at the hands of a juiced up Megatron. The situation the Decepticons had sparked between the Yuktobanians and the Fato Federation began to die down, although the Autobots were still worried about the ramifications behind Prowl and Bumblebee revealing themselves to the soldiers. Soldiers from both sides had seen the massive brawl between Optimus and Megatron, and though they were keeping quiet about the incident (most likely by the governments themselves) Autobots and Decepticons alike were laying low. This didn't sit well with Prowl, who immediately thought back to the organization the kids had stumbled upon last year-Skywatch.

Things had quieted down since then. Optimus and Jazz had made full recoveries, and the Decepticons were keeping silent as well. But the question still remained-what was this "ultra-energon" Megatron and Starscream discovered and used to increase their powers? Where did they find it? And did they have more stockpiled away for the future? These questions weighed heavily on everyone's minds, and they had to find the answers soon before another incident like the Yuktobania/Fato conflict sparked somewhere else on Terra.

Wheeljack resolved to answer these questions and more. Since that day, he spent most of his free time in his workshop studying the few samples of Megatron's altered energon spilled during the fight. He barely took any breaks except to go out on patrols and for energon breaks, and even then he was still obsessing over this rare form of energon. He hadn't been this way since learning that Terra was producing its own natural energon. It was getting to the point that his friends were starting to worry.

"Jackie?" Bulkhead lightly tapped on the door, which was still as loud as a knock. "Jackie, you still alive in there?"

"Come in, Bulkhead," Wheeljack said. "Door's open."

Bulkhead opened the door and walked inside, almost tripping on a discarded plasma rifle just two steps in upon entering. The green mech wondered how Wheeljack could find anything in this clutter, but knowing him, he probably color coded every piece of equipment and invention with a tracking chip or something. He was a hoarder, but Wheeljack was also an organized mech when he wanted to be.

"Jackie, I've said it once and I'll say it again, you need to clean up. This mess is a fire hazard. Seriously, Prowl's gonna confiscate half your things." Bulkhead said.

"He won't do that because he's not gonna see it in the first place." Wheeljack replied, not looking up from his microscope.

Bulkhead glanced at Wheeljack's back and sighed. "You're still working on that? Jackie, this has got to stop."

"If I stop, I'll lose the flow I have going for me."

"A flow?" Bulkhead glanced at Liftor, who was sitting on Wheeljack's work table. The Minicon shrugged.

"It's lingo for his flow of ideas. He got it from Gina when they were tinkering with that solar array last year."

"Jackie, listen, if Prowl put you up to this, forget him." Bulkhead said. "Just take a little energon break and recharge a bit. You'll run yourself ragged."

"I'd love to, Bulk, but I need to finish studying this ultra-energon sample." Wheeljack said. "It might help us avoid another surprise like the one in Yuktobania."

Bulkhead wanted to good friend to rest for once and not pass out over his work table just like the past two dozen times when he worked himself into an engineering frenzy. But his curiosity won out and he took a step closer to the table. "Fine, I give. What did you find out about that stuff?"

"This ultra-energon is a different form of the baseline stuff, just as Ratchet said, but it hasn't been tampered with like I thought." Wheeljack explained, finally looking back at Bulkhead. "This is a natural mutation, its chemical makeup is too compact and seamless to have been done artificially."

"That's impossible."

"So is the idea of energon growing on a planet that's not Cybertron." Liftor pointed out. "But here we are, on a world that isn't one of our colonies and hasn't been altered by a miniature Well of Allsparks. But it would be better to think that maybe both the regular and ultra-energon are both the result of tampering with the planet."

"As in Cybertronians having been here before and fooled around with the ecosystem a bit." Bulkhead nodded. It seemed like a plausible idea. They had been asleep on Terra for 4 million years, and Jetfire had been in stasis in ice for almost as long. A lot of things could've happened between then and now. "But it seems pretty advanced stuff for just any bot to do."

"I know. I could be wrong though. Energon is extremely malleable on its own, and if left along in a different environment for too long, it could be contaminated by other elemental composites."

"Like hephaestium."

"Exactly."

"But you don't have proof to support that." Bulkhead deduced.

"Yes to that too." Wheeljack sighed. "Which is why I need some more of this energon to see just what it's made of. If it's natural, then that's the end of that. But if someone had planted the seeds for this type of energon to be produced locally, then Terra is a part of something much bigger than we thought."

"We're going to head out with Optimus to locate some more ultra-energon deposits," Liftor looked up at Bulkhead. "And you just volunteered."

"W-what? But I have plans with Annie!" Bulkhead whined.

"Sorry, Bulk, but duty calls." Wheeljack said. Bulkhead could hear the grin in his voice.

The green Autobot groaned. The things he did for his friends.

XXXXXX

Deep within the bowels of a mountain in Elladas, a ground bridge appeared and Optimus Prime walked out, followed by Ironhide, Bulkhead, Wheeljack and Liftor on his shoulder. The group of Autobots found themselves standing just outside a large cave near the top of the mountain in its interior.

Wheeljack had proposed a plan to locate more ultra-energon by having Teletran-1 scan the sample and run a global search for areas that emit similar readings. It would've been difficult for the Ark's supercomputer to do such a thing, but thanks to the relay points the Autobots had been building in every continent, they had a global sensor net capable of detecting traces of energon all over the world.

"So, where are we exactly?" Bulkhead asked.

"Inside a mountain in Elladas." Wheeljack answered. "I think it's the second largest one aside from Mount Olympus, um…Pieria. Yeah, that's it!"

"We're standing in a mountain in full view of the towns and villages down below. While I don't believe we're in danger of being spotted by humans, I'd advise caution." Optimus said.

"Prime, you sure you should be up and walking like this?" Ironhide asked. "You just got the all clear from Ratchet. You're not at one hundred percent yet."

"I know, Ironhide, but this mission is too important to leave unattended." Optimus replied. "No expense is to be had with this new energon is concerned."

Wheeljack took point, leading the group through the tunnel higher up the mountain and directing them through tunnels sloping upwards. The closer they got towards their destination, the more evidence of energon could be seen. Tiny pinpricks of blue and purple began dotting the cave walls, buried in the rocky walls like multicolored stars in the night sky. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel, where they came upon a massive cave full of bright magenta hued ultra-energon crystals sprouting from the ground and walls, reaching almost as tall as Wheeljack.

"Well what do ya know," Ironhide grinned. "Jackie shot straight for once."

"Bite me." Wheeljack grunted.

Optimus stepped up to one of the crystals and ran his fingers along its smooth cut surface. This energon was powerful, and in its rawest form it was extremely powerful. It hummed faintly with energy, and the energon was so potent that just being near it was almost making him dizzy. Looking around, Optimus wondered how such potent energon remained undetected for this long.

"With all this energon, we can have enough firepower to beat the Cons ten times over." Bulkhead said.

"No way, Bulkhead. Megatron ran on a full tank of this stuff and he suffered from a relapse afterwards." Ironhide said. "I'm not chugging this stuff down even if you held a gun to my head."

"Ironhide is correct. We came here to secure the deposit and acquire samples for Wheeljack to study. And to keep them from Decepticon hands." Optimus said. "Large quantities may be detrimental to a cybertronian, but small doses might just be enough to get the job done."

Unfortunately, Prime's fears were realized when the east side of the wall was blasted in. The explosion detonated some ultra-energon crystals and Ironhide and Bulkhead were blown off their feet. Wheeljack and Optimus brought their weapons to bear as Nightshade and the Seekers flew in through the large hole, flying in formation before transforming and landing on the ground. Nightshade took out Gandiva and pointed it at Optimus.

"Nightshade, it has been a while." Optimus said, brandishing his battle axe. "Where is Megatron? I take it he is still recovering from that shot to the face?"

"Heads will roll, Prime. Starting with yours!" Nightshade pulled the string back and created a white bow from Gandiva.

"Whoa, are you insane? You fire that in here, you'll blow us all to hell!" Bulkhead exclaimed.

"It's just a matter of precision, Autobot. Unlike you, I know how to aim!" She replied. "Even still, Seekers, hit them hard and don't use any missiles or blasters unless you have a clear shot."

"You heard the lady," Ironhide took out two short axes from his compartments and spun them around with a grin. "Let's get up close and personal!"

"What? But we're outnumbered with no room to fight." Wheeljack said, holding Liftor close.

"Didn't stop us before." Bulkhead said, shifting his hand into his wrecking ball.

Optimus charged forward, leaping at Nightshade before she had a chance to release her arrow. He swung his axe at her face, but she used the bow to block the heated blade, its tough material holding the axe-blade back with ease. She kicked him back and pulled the string back, but not before Optimus batted her arm upwards. The arrow she fired was knocked off course and hit the upper level of the cave, causing a large explosion to destroy a cluster of ultra-energon. That loud boom was the signal for the fight to begin.

Bulkhead and the powerlinked Wheeljack teamed up to combat Thundercracker and Skywarp, who came at tem with their dual pairs of curved bayonets. Wheeljack immediately zeroed in on Skywarp, once again making the purple Seeker lament always getting stuck fighting the engineer who always seemed to have a countermeasure against him. Even now, as he materialized behind Wheeljack for a flanking maneuver, Skywarp couldn't get the upper hand against him.

"That trick won't work on me!" One of Wheeljack's shoulder cannons rose up from behind his back and spun around, shooting a shell into Skywarp's chest.

"Oh come on!" Skywarp shouted as his body was wracked by painful jots of electricity surging through his joints and limbs. He fell to his knees and spasmed on the ground. "Every time!"

"Don't underestimate someone who built a warship and a supercomputer!" Wheeljack taunted and kicked him in the face.

"Nice going, Jackie!" Bulkhead said, punching Thundercraker's noggin with his wrecking ball, holding his head in place under his large arm.

"Just knock me out already!" He yelled.

"Sorry blue, but I'm not done humiliating you yet!" Bulkhead grinned. "Jackie, get a picture of this!"

Optimus and Ironhide fought side by side against Nightshade, Dreadwing and Skyquake. Ironhide and Skyquake fought alone, with the latter being put on the defensive by Ironhide's surprisingly fast axe strikes against his arms. Deep cuts and scratches marred Skyquake's forearms as he defended himself against the red Autobot. He waited for Ironhide to go for his face, then grabbed his arm and tried to wrestle him into submission, but Ironhide kept his balance strong and pushed back against him.

In a fight that should by all rights be one-sided, Optimus fought against Nightshade and Dreadwing simultaneously. Optimus kept them at bay with his battle axe, spinning it in wide, sweeping arcs to keep the duo from swarming him. Dreadwing's sword clashed against his axe with sparks spewing in their faces, and Nightshade would try to flank him, but a quick spin of his axe at the wrist would force them back lest they lose a crucial body part. Training with Jazz had taught him that the best offense was a solid defense, especially with weapons that were double-bladed.

"Give us the energon, Prime!" Dreadwing demanded. "And you may get to leave with some of your dignity!"

"You don't know me very well if you're telling me that." Optimus replied.

He ducked to his knees to allow Nightshade's sword to fly over his head before grabbing his arm and throwing her over his shoulder into Dreadwing. They hit the ground, and Nightshade fired three missile darts from her wings. Two caught him in the chest and the third flew past his face, hitting the energon crystal behind him. It exploded and the three combatants were blasted away from each other. Being the closest to the blast, Optimus was hit the hardest, and he hit the ground face first, disoriented from the blast wave. Nightshade seized the chance and charge at him, readying Gandiva for a killing shot.

"This ends now, Prime!" She hissed.

Suddenly the wall next to her was blown apart, sending rocks and dust everywhere. Nightshade stumbled back and glared through the dust. Outside the giant hole that was blasted in the cave wall was an Autobot shuttle!

"Frag me." She growled.

"Attention oil holes," A cocky voice announced through the ship's speakers. "You are currently looking at the Autobot shuttle, Xanthium. We have four positron laser cannons and two proton missile launchers trained on your Spark signatures and fully capable of avoiding raw energon. Piss us off at your leisure."

Nightshade nearly gave a frustrated scream at this unexpected development. It would be her luck for the Autobots to have reinforcements. She could attempt to shoot it down with Gandiva, but there wasn't much room to maneuver to avoid its returning fire. And getting shot at by missiles in a cave full of energon was not ideal for anyone at the moment. There was only one course of action to take in this situation.

"Decepticons," Nightshade said. "Retreat."

Skyquake, Thundercracker and Skywarp transformed, but Dreadwing hung back for Nightshade. She glared at Prime, silently vowing to return this insult to her honor in kind before taking beast mode with Dreadwing and following the others. In a purple flash of light, the Cons were gone. Once the area was clear of hostiles, Optimus and the Autobots looked up at the shuttle hovering outside.

"Thank you for your assistance, Autobots." Optimus called up to his comrades. "But why are you here? We've never sent a message for reinforcements."

"Your thanks is always welcome, Optimus," A female voice said. "But how about we talk about this in private?"

Optimus felt his Spark skip a beat. "Elita?"

XXXXXX

Darren, Annie and Gina wasted no time in rushing the see the new group of Autobots that arrived in their massive ship. Instead of taking the ground bridge, Optimus and his team were escorted by the crew of the Xanthium shuttle towards the Ark. They watched alongside the Street Action Team, Sparkplug and Sara as Optimus went to meet the crew as they touched down. It was a pleasant surprise to see Elita-1 walk in through the landing hatch, and Gina was excited.

"Elita-1!" Gina exclaimed. "I didn't know you were coming! It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, little one." Elita-1 knelt down and shook Gina's tiny hand between her two fingers. "I cannot thank you enough for what you and Arcee did to save Optimus."

"Anything for you guys." Gina smiled, blushing. Darren nudged her side. "Oh, um, this is Darren, my…boyfriend," The thought still brought a little blush to her cheeks. "And his sister, Annie."

"It's an honor to meet the humans who risked so much to help our lost Autobots. You have our eternal gratitude." Elita-1 said.

Darren and Annie marveled at how regal she acted. It was like being addressed by a queen. Gina's description of her did not do her justice. It was shocking to know how this femme was able to take command of the Autobot forces in Prime's absence and was still going strong. Not to mention, she was a telekinetic like Darren! He hoped she could give him some tips before she left.

"Elita," Optimus walked up to his conjux endura. "Would you like to meet the others now?"

"Yes, of course. I need to explain the reason for this unannounced visit. It's very important."

Optimus led Elita-1 deeper into the Ark and they stopped at the command center where all the Autobots were assembled. Elita-1 took a few minutes to scold Moonracer to hitching an interstellar ride with Jetfire and Arcee, before she got to business.

"First, let me say that it's good to see you all alive and well, Autobots. After spending so many mega-cycles thinking the worst for you all, it is good to see you're all alive and well."

"Well, we did have some close calls, but we've managed." Ironhide said.

"Barely." Bulkhead snorted.

"But you said you were here on important business," Prowl said, getting straight to the point. "What's the situation?"

"Just recently, we've had a situation involving the beast that destroyed Cybertron's ecosystem , Thunderwing." She began. Elita-1 gave a summarized, but still detailed recount of the events involving Thunderwing's rampage, and Bludgeon's resurrection of him via Ore-13. "Shockwave's data linked Ore-13's growth to this planet, where Bludgeon had gathered enough to bring Thunderwing back to life. Considering the amount of problems we've had on our end, I thought I should warn you of its dangers."

"Too late for that, shelia." Jetfire grunted.

"Megatron got a hold of some ore-13 from Starscream and used it to thrash Optimus before he crashed hard." Jazz said. "We were lucky, honestly."

"Indeed. Ore-13 may be a power enhancer, but it drains the user's energy in order to protect them from harm. The harder you hit them, the more energy they expend. It was how we were able to beat Thunderwing." Elita-1 nodded. "I recall the relapse is catastrophic if you take large amounts of it."

"An unstable power-up," Ironhide snorted. "Only Shockwave could come up with that slag."

"Which is why I came here bringing something you desperately need," Elita-1 smiled. "Reinforcements."

"Reinforcements?" The team, sans Prime, echoed. Elita-1's smile grew at their surprise.

"Yes. I'm sure you're all aware of Megatron's growing numbers on this planet. If Demolishor, Dreadwing and Skyquake could get here, then more will come." She said. "So I figured they will even out the playing field."

Jetfire looked at Optimus. "Your girl's awesome, Prime. Let that be known."

XXXXXX

Elita-1 called the Xanthium over to Mount Saint Hilary, which was being piloted by Chromia of all people. It was an odd reunion to say the least, as both Ironhide and Chromia were not the type to openly display their emotions in front of others. Still, seeing the two awkwardly greet each other with punches to the shoulder (after Chromia chewed Ironhide out for that lazy goodbye letter he wrote her back on Cybertron) was enough to make the bots smile.

As the rest of the team greeted their new additions, Elita-1 and Optimus used the commotion to sneak away to have a private moment of their own. They left the Ark and walked into the forest that surrounded the dormant volcano. The entire area was bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. The scenery was beautiful, and set the tone for the inevitable conversation they were about to have.

Both Autobots stopped at the foot of a tree, gazing out at the forest in complete silence. What do you say to a loved one you haven't seen in literally millennia? Elita-1 looked around at the forest.

"This place looks beautiful." She commented. "Kind of reminds me of the Helic Gardens, just not as shiny."

"Terra has its fair share of light and dark sides. It's the reason some of its people worship it so." Optimus said. Then he decided to get to the point. "Elita, I heard about what happened to Cybertron in my absence. Is our planet really…?"

Elita-1 nodded sadly. "It's gone, Optimus. The war and Thunderwing's rampage pushed the planet past its limits and it just couldn't take it anymore."

Optimus' shoulders sagged and his bright blue eyes dimmed with a myriad of emotions. Suddenly, the forest didn't look so bright anymore. "Then I have failed."

"No, Optimus, it's my fault. I took command from Ultra Magnus and staged assault after assault on the Decepticons in an attempt to push them over the edge. The status of the planet was the last thing on my mind as we won battle after battle. The signs were all around us, and yet we didn't care to look. Then Thunderwing came along and…" She sighed.

"What about Ultra Magnus and Alpha Trion?" Optimus asked.

"Ultra Magnus is working for Tyrest as an officer of the Tyrest Accord. As you probably already know from Springer, he's hunting down violators dealing cybertronian weapons and technology to other races. When he's not doing that, he's acting as our liaison to the Galactic Council. Magnus is the one making sure that the GC doesn't torch us or any unaffiliated Cybertronian just for spite." Elita-1 answered.

"I see." Prime nodded. It was discerning to know that the entire galaxy, or at least a good portion of it hated Cybertronians with a passion, whereas there was a time when nearly all organics revered them as evolutionary marvels.

"As for Alpha Trion…I don't know." Elita-1's face darkened. "He disappeared when the Decepticons invaded Iacon. From what his bodyguard, Armorhide told me, he was fighting Ember in the Hall of Records. The whole place was leveled."

This was even worse news. Ember was a wild card, the very definition. She was an enigmatic cult leader who had a hand in a lot of things behind the scenes. She was no Decepticon, but her influence amongst them had spread in Megatron's absence. Optimus had only met her once, long before the Decepticons were formally created, but even then he could feel that she was dangerous. To hear that she fought Alpha Trion, and survived was…inconceivable. Trion was very old, but as one of the Thirteen Primes of old, he was still stronger than the average bot. She had to be dealt with in the future, lest her plans, whatever they were, led to the destruction of Autobots and Decepticons alike.

"And you?" He looked down at her. "How are you?"

"In shock, I guess." Elita-1 rubbed her arms. "Hearing that you were alive after so many stellar cycles…I was happy beyond belief. But seeing you here in person really hit home that you're alive. I didn't have to come in person, with so much going on out there on the field, but…I just had to make sure. I couldn't handle another false dream again."

Optimus walked over to her and pulled her into a hug, which she returned without hesitation. They didn't have to say anything, as just being near each other was enough. Despite being members of a near immortal race, eternity was no shorter for them than it was for any other race.

XXXXXX

Back in the Ark, Team Prime was meeting four new additions to their numbers, and they new arrivals were met with differing reactions.

"Hawk girl!" Jetfire hollered, arms wide open for a hug that he wasn't going to get. "How's it going? It's good to see you again!"

Tomahawk, a tall, lanky black and grey femme who transformed into a cybertronian attack helicopter, stared blandly at Jetfire through dull yellow eyes. "Don't even think about it. And don't call me hawk girl."

"But you loved that nickname back in flight school!" Jetfire whined.

"No, I said for you to knock it off, but you ignored me. Don't put words in my mouth." Tomahawk glanced down at the girl standing next to Jetfire's foot. "Why hello there. Who are you?"

"I'm Annie," Annie smiled, waving up at Tomahawk. "Bulkhead's wing-girl!"

Tomahawk glanced at Bulkhead curiously, and the olive green mech smiled sheepishly. "Annie's small, but she's a strong girl. She's saved my metal plenty of times."

"They all have." Arcee smiled. "These humans are the ones who've met us after the Minicons reawakened and they've been a great help to us in acclimating to this world."

"Elita-1 ha had high praises for you children." Tomahawk gave a small smile towards the trio. "I am looking forward for working with you in the future."

"Don't give them high hopes, Tomahawk." A cocky voice said. A yellow and black mech with a nicely polished finish walked into the room with a cocky swagger, glaring down at the children like they were dirt stuck to his foot. "What can a couple of fleshies do against the Cons except be cannon fodder?"

He got his answer in the form of a distortion halo exploding in front of his face, making him stumble back in shock. Gina stepped forward, her eyes crackling with energy.

"How's that for cannon fodder?" Gina smirked.

The Autobot growled and stomped forward, only for a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Reign it in, Sunstreaker. You're not gonna score points threatening Prime's friends."

"Oh you're one to talk, Hot Rod." Sunstreaker shot back.

"My name's Rodimus, not Hot Rod, not Hot Shot, and certainly not Flameo." Rodimus, a bright red mech with orange along his forearms and thighs said frowning. He punched Sunstreaker in the shoulder. "Don't you forget that, Sunny."

"Would you two knock it off!" Flashpoint, the medic of the Valkyries, stepped forward and bonked the two mechs on the head. "Straighten yourselves up or I'll report you two to Prime."

Rodimus and Sunstreaker glared at each other before looking away with aggravated huffs. Flashpoint shook her head as she turned to greet the children, only to face Jetfire's larger form.

"Why hello there." Jetfire drawled.

"No. Just no." Flashpoint said.

"But-"

"No. Don't even think about it."

Darren snickered. "Denied."

Prowl ignored the tomfoolery around him and addressed Tomahawk. "I'm assuming you're in charge of this team?"

"Yes, seeing as I have the most field experience of the group, Elita-1 thought it would be nice to have a veteran leading the two mavericks over there." Tomahawk's words sounded scathing, but the tiny smile on her face said otherwise. "We'll be living with you all here on the Ark, if there's enough room."

"Oh we've got plenty to spare, considering the half the people here barely reach our ankles." Ironhide grumbled.

Rodimus clapped his hands and grinned. "Well, since we have that out of the way…who's up for street racing?"

"Not so fast, Rodimus." Elita-1 and Optimus walked into the room. The rose colored femme gave Rodimus a scolding look. "You know how protocol goes. Before we do anything else on this planet, you all need to find terran alt modes to scan."

"I would've remembered that if you'd let me off the base more often." Rodimus grumbled.

"After that stunt with the meteor shower, you should be glad I let you off base at all." Elita-1 said.

"What did he do?" Bumblebee asked.

"Hot Rod here tried to surf on a meteor during a shower onto a Decepticon prison camp." Tomahawk explained. "He almost burned up in the atmosphere and smashed apart upon impact."

"It was an unorthodox entry no one was expecting."

"You were on a solo mission infiltrating Decepticon territory." Tomahawk crossed her arms and glared down at the shorter mech. "And yet caution was the last thing on your mind."

"Tomahawk, Rodimus, please." Elita-1 sighed. "Now's not the time for a lovers' spat."

"Elita is right. If you are to live on this world with us, then it's important to know more about it." Optimus began.

"And to do that, you guys need some native guides who know the lay of the land." Jazz said. He pointed at the kids. "Case in point."

"Whoa, you want these tiny fleshies to babysit us? Are you out of your mind?" Sunstreaker gave a sardonic laugh. "Primus, as if slumming it out here isn't bad enough."

"The children," Arcee put strong emphasis on the word. "Are our friends and comrades. And they should be treated with respect, Sunny."

"Don't call me that!" He growled.

"Sunstreaker, act like you have some military discipline. This is no way for an Autobot to act on an alien world." Tomahawk said. "If they say we work with the humans, then we work with them. Am I clear?"

"…Yes sir." Sunstreaker grumbled.

"I like her already." Annie smirked.

"Well, as nice as this visit has been, I'm afraid it is time for Chromia and I to leave." Elita-1 said, earning disappointed groans from the other Autobots and humans.

"You can't stay longer?" Bumblebee asked.

"I'm sorry, Bee, but duty calls." She smiled. "As acting commander in Optimus's place, I need to be on site at all times. I don't need Ultra Magnus reading me the riot act. And you never know when something crazy might happen in my absence."

"We understand, Elita." Optimus said, touching her hand lightly. "It's good to know that the Autobots are in capable hands."

As the Autobots began to see Elita-1 off at the ground bridge, Ironhide and Chromia ran out of the portal yelling and screaming at each other.

"Don't you run from me, you big red bozo!" Chromia yelled. "We're not done yet!"

"What else do you want me to say?" Ironhide screamed at her. "I said I was sorry!"

"Saying my bad for giving a goodbye over the holo-vid before vanishing for four million years is not how you properly apologize. I thought you were dead, you moron!"

"Well I'm still kickin', so you still have a shot at snuffing me out!"

Elita-1 sighed. "This is one thing I did not miss."

XXXXXX

"It's about time we had some new faces here!" Gina smiled brightly. She was giving the new Autobots an introduction to the "tour" she and her fellow humans were giving. "Not that I'm complaining, but it's a breath of fresh air to have off world arrivals coming to stay. As you know, I am Gina Harkins, and this is my boyfriend (she loved saying that) Darren and his twin sister Annie Radcliffe. There's also Kevin and Penny, but they're not here right now, so we'll keep this little session between us."

Tomahawk, Rodimus, Sunstreaker and Flashpoint stared down at the fast talking girl with looks of near incomprehensibility. How could one girl talk so fast was beyond them, but it was disorienting.

'I thought humans required oxygen to breath.' Tomahawk thought as Gina continued to babble. 'Is she the exception?'

"And remember to always obey traffic laws…unless it's an emergency. If that's the case, then feel free to run that red light and yell fu-"

"Okay, Gina. I think they get it." Sureshock sighed.

"Wow," Rodimus blinked. "Um, that was something. Are all humans like this?"

"No, just Gina, thankfully." Ratchet said. "You'll get used to it."

"Hmph. Noisy little creatures, aren't they?" Sunstreaker huffed. "So what do they help you with? Acting as meat shields for the Cons to shoot at?"

Bulkhead gave him a hard shove, making him stumble a bit. "Watch that mouth, Sunny. These kids are far from helpless. One of 'em even killed Lugnut."

"Really?" Tomahawk said. That was news to her. Unlike Sunstreaker, she knew that organics could be very dangerous if given the right resources, natural or artificial. The Galactic Council and the Black Box Consortia were a prime example of this. But how were these three children able to take down a brute like Lugnut?

"You have my brother to thank for that." Annie patted Darren on the back. "Took that big bastard out in one shot. BOOM!"

"That's not something to brag about, Annie. Megatron almost killed the three of you for that." High Wire said.

"Anyone who manages to piss off bucket head is a friend of mine!" Rodimus said. "Glad to see you guys aren't the passive kind."

"May I remind you all that you still need to scan new alt modes? For disguise?" Prowl said, crossing his arms. He gave Rodimus a look. "If that's possible for you."

"Lay off me, guys!" Rodimus sighed, prompting a smile from Tomahawk.

"But first, you guys get a first class tour of the Ark!" Jazz said and motioned for the group to follow him. "We have enough room to house an entire battalion, but I'd watch my step. We got a lot of little guys running around."

Optimus and Prowl watched them go with mixed feelings. On one hand, the reinforcements were much needed and greatly appreciated, but on the other, Optimus was a bit worried. Rodimus was a good mech at heart, if not a bit too reckless than what was called for, but Sunstreaker's scathing arrogance made enemies even amongst friends.

"We finally get some aid from off world, and instead we get a team consisting of a distant regional commander, a passive aggressive field medic, and two of the most impulsive mechs on the Autobot force." Prowl sighed. "Did we piss someone off in a past life?"

"It won't do us any good to antagonize our fell Autobots, Prowl." Optimus hung his head. "That being said, I hope being stationed on Terra will curb some of those unfavorable traits in them."

Prowl almost snorted. "You'd be better off trying to convince Megatron to become an Autobot."

"I know." Prime sighed.

XXXXXX

Megatron stood behind Leader-1 as he watched the spymaster do his work on the Nemesis' computers systems, hard at work at locating other veins of ultra-energon. As he did this, Megatron was listening to Nightshade's latest report on this new development.

"An Autobot vessel?" Megatron scowled. "Are you sure, Nightshade? Because I'm not in the mood for playing games right now."

"I never joke, Megatron. We were chased off by an Autobot shuttle possibly carrying Autobot reinforcements. I was pushing it enough trying to fight inside a cave full of raw energon, but if that ship opened fire on us, we wouldn't have stood a chance." Nightshade said.

"Reinforcements," He spat. "I didn't think those cowards off-world had the bearings to send Prime aid."

"It wasn't a large ship, just around the same size as a Valiant-class shuttle used by tactical response teams." She went on. "Whoever these Autobots were, it probably wasn't more than a three-four bot team."

"Wonderful. The Autobots already outnumber us, and now they get more bots on their team?" Leader-1 grumbled. "And all we get are two Seekers and a half-wit tank-former."

"Quit your bellyaching Leader-1. Numbers do not matter in this pocket war of ours. It's the quality of the warriors that shall be the deciding factor." Megatron said. He looked at Leader-1. "How goes the search?"

"Scans are not detecting any ultra-energon deposits." Leader-1 said. "It may be a while before the computers can pinpoint a credible source using rudimentary scanning equipment."

"Keep at it, Leader-1. It's paramount that we fund more ultra-energon before the Autobots have the chance to weaponize it."

"Megatron, I can't believe you're still hunting that stuff down after what happened in Yuktobania." Nightshade crossed her arms. "I know you didn't forget what that energon did to you after it wore off. You were in pain for nearly three hours afterwards."

"I'm well aware of its drawbacks, Nightshade. But this energon is too valuable to write off." Megatron grinned. "Despite its setbacks, ultra-energon is still a powerful game changer, one that must be utilized with great care."

"Without knowing how this stuff was made in the first place? Megatron, we don't know anything about this energon; who altered it, why is it unique to this planet alone…why the hell energon grows on Terra in the first place! So many things could go wrong and you still insist on running in willy nilly."

Megatron simply waved off her concerns. "Bah! I can have Knockout figure that out…when we manage to get a life sample. Starscream used up the vein he found and trying to locate more is a hassle. I need you and Dreadwing to be on standby in case we do detect something."

"As you wish." Nightshade stiffly bowed her head and marched towards the door. But before she left, Megatron gave her some parting words.

"I do not do these things lightly, Nightshade." He told her, his tone more subdued and calm. "But you must realize that the situation on this planet has escalated into something bigger. Three members of our original crew are dead, Soundwave, Ravage and Laserbeak are still MIA, and Flamewar is still rogue with a hive of Insecticons under her command. In order to gain the upper hand in this war, we must grow. Evolve."

"Evolve?" Nightshade laughed. The sound was like claws grinding against sheet metal. "You make it sound like that's something that comes easily to our race. You need to understand that as fun as it is to go crazy with power on the battlefield, acting like a rabid animal can only get you so far before you stab yourself with your own claws."

She walked out of the bridge, and the doors slid closed behind her, shutting out any reply Megatron had for her. Except he had none.

XXXXXX

"How about that one?" Darren pointed out a red convertible that drove by them.

"Pass." Sunstreaker said.

"Okay," Darren spotted a pink sports car with white highlights. "That one?"

"Do I look like Arcee to you?" He grunted.

"Is that rhetorical?" Darren teased, earning a glare from the Autobot.

High Wire could feel the boredom setting in. The mismatched trio sat on top of a cliff in the forest that surrounded Tranquility, near a road leading into town. Darren was picking out cars at random for Sunstreaker to scan, but the Autobot was not being easy to deal with in that regard. Sunstreaker was very picky about choosing his "war paint" as he called it, and his attitude towards him and Darren was less than welcome.

"I get the feeling that you don't like us very much." High Wire commented.

"Gee, what gave that away?" Sunstreaker huffed. "Ugh, I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Doing what? Following orders or being a total ass?" Darren asked, his patience wearing thin.

"Don't start with me fleshy, I'm not in the mood." Sunstreaker spat. "I have better things to do than hang out with a Minicon and some kid from the boonies."

"Optimus' orders were clear, Sunny," Darren used Sunstreaker's hated nickname to piss the mech off further. "You need a terran alt mode, and this process will go much faster if you stopped acting like a teenage girl in a clothing store on Black Friday!"

"Watch it, kid! I didn't come all this way just to be lectured by a runt who sheds his epidermis on a daily basis!"

"Cut the macho act douchebag Mc bro." They were practically in each other's faces by now. "Go try that bravado crap on someone who gives a damn."

"You're one to talk. A helpless little fleshy like you squarin' up against a stylin' Autobot like me? It's no competition."

"Guys, can we not do this right now? We're out in the open." High Wire said, trying to break them up. This earned him a hard shove from Sunstreaker's finger that made him stumble back.

"Can it, tiny! The only thing you Minicon scraplets are good for is power ups and getting me my drinks." Sunstreaker sneered. "Much more useful than wonderboy here."

The side of the cliff they were standing on was torn off and a ring of sharpened rocks orbited Sunstreaker's head. The Autobot tried to jump up, but he found his lower legs encased in stone from the knee down. Startled, High Wire turned to Darren, who looked like he was ready to unleash a telekinetic onslaught that rivaled his fight against Megatron.

"I suggest you tone down that attitude, junkheap." Darren growled. "Or I'll show you first hand how dangerous we humans can be."

"You little-"

"Darren, Sunstreaker!"

Both males turned to see Arcee and Moonracer running towards them from the forest. Arcee gave Darren a look for him to stand down, and he relented, letting the rocks drop to the ground. Sunstreaker stomped towards him, but Moonracer got in his way.

"What do you two think you're doing?" Arcee questioned. "Optimus ordered you to scan a new alt mode, not pick a fight with a child!"

"But he started it!" Sunstreaker winced at how childish he sounded. "That little brat was picking a fight with me!"

"You're older than him, you moron. Act like it." She replied. "This isn't some bar at Orbital Command, this is a world where secrecy is crucial. Don't jeopardize that because you want to be the alpha male."

Then she turned her scolding gaze to Darren. "And what do you have to say for yourself?"

Darren crossed his arms and looked to the side. "Nothing. He just riled me up, that's all."

"You're better than that, Darren. Don't stoop to his level. I trust this won't happen again?" Arcee told him, and he nodded. "Now, as for you Sunstreaker. I suggest you scan a new alt mode, now."

"But there's barely anything here!"

"Then improvise," She said dryly. "This isn't a car show, Sunstreaker. Now get to it!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Sunstreaker groaned, glaring at Darren.

Moonracer sighed and sat down next to High Wire. "This is impossible. You think Annie is getting along with Rodimus?"

"I hope so. I doubt Grindor can handle the stress by himself." High Wire said.

XXXXXX

"Ahhh!" Grindor screamed, clutching his seat for dear life.

"Woohoo!" Annie laughed, the wind blowing through her hair from the open window. "This is awesome!"

Rodimus, now in his newly scanned red muscle car with bright orange flame decals, hollered along with her as he spun doughnuts in the middle of a dirt road a few miles outside a town in Wyoming. A dust cloud concealed his form as he tore up the ground with his tires and drove way above the speed limit.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Grindor exclaimed. "We're not supposed to be doing this!"

"Why not? We've already gotten Rodimus his new wheels." Annie grinned. "What's wrong with testing them out?"

"Yeah, work hard, play hard!" Rodimus whooped. "Hey let's try out that move from that show you mentioned earlier."

"The one from Duke's of Hazard?"

"Yeah, that one!"

"Oh god no." Grindor whimpered. He notice Rodimus speeding towards a small ravine. "No, no, no, no!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Annie cheered as Rodimus pushed himself to his top speed and leapt over the ravine. "This is the best day ever!"

XXXXXX

"This is the worst day ever." Tomahawk sighed.

She and Jetfire, with Comettor, were hiding outside a military base in the middle of Sunehra. It was dusk, and the encroaching darkness gave the Autobots some room to move without being spotted, though it was difficult with Jetfire's large size. Tomahawk was trying to acquire her chosen alt mode, one of the base's military aircraft that Gina had mentioned to her that fit her combat abilities splendidly.

"Come on, don't be like that, Hawkgirl." Jetfire laughed. "It's been literally thousands of stellar cycles since we had a chat like this. I miss our funny conversations."

"We're on duty, Jetfire. Not having drinks at a bar." She said and crawled through the thin forest along the base's perimeter. "And stop talking so loud or we'll be discovered."

"Seriously? I've done my fair share of stealth missions, honey. You should've seen me when I visited this one planet that belonged to this planet full of bipedal bees or something. So many honeycombs…"

Tomahawk resisted the urge to clock Jetfire in the face and got serious. "Look, just keep an eye out while I go in and scan my alt mode."

"Sure thing, birdy."

She shook her head and picked up Comettor, jogging over to the outer gates and jumping over to the other side. Thanks to her inherent stealth armor plating, she was virtually undetectable to radar and heat sensors, and there weren't any talos on patrol. As she went for the base's aircraft hangar, Comettor decided this was the perfect time to start a conversation.

"So, you and Jetfire have quite a history." He began. She looked down at him.

"Um, yeah, we went to the same military academy in Vos. Practically grew up together."

"Were you two, you know…together?"

Tomahawk almost barked out a laugh, but she stopped herself. "Please, he wishes. We never got together, Comettor, but I am with someone.

"Really, who?"

"Are we seriously discussing my love life right now?" She asked. Comettor shrugged.

"I've never seen another Autobot aside from Team Prime for nearly a year, with the better part of that year being spent with Jetfire. I need companionship."

Tomahawk reached the hangar where the aircraft were being held and quickly squeezed herself inside. There was a whole assortment of military aircraft to choose from, and for an ace flyer like Tomahawk, she had to whistle at the new toys ripe for test flying. However, despite her preferences, she had to choose an alt mode that matched her size and mass. Leaving her with another variation of her cybertronian helicopter mode.

Eventually she settled on an Apache Longbow attack chopper. Placing Comettor on the ground, she shot diagnostic beams from her eyes and scanned the helicopter's design, downloading its schematics into her databanks. Once she finished scanning, her exo-structure began to shift and morph, her alien configuration changing into parts resembling a Terran aircraft. The process only took a few minutes, and soon she was standing in a new form. Such changes were second nature to Cybertronians, so she didn't pay any attention to it as she talked to Comettor.

"Now are you going to tell us who's this mystery person you're seeing?" Comettor asked expectantly.

"You've already met him," Tomahawk said as her body finished reconfiguring. "It's Rodimus."

"Oh, okay." Comettor nodded. Then he did a double take. "Hold up, what?"

Tomahawk smiled and strolled out of the hangar with Minicon in tow. "Never gets old."

XXXXXX

Of the three children, Gina's time with Flashpoint was probably the least eventful. She helped the Autobot get as close to the hospital as possible in the wee hours of dusk for the femme to scan one of the medical vehicles in the parking lot. It was a treat seeing Flashpoint's body shift and reshape itself like liquid-a marvel that Kevin had told her about from his own experience of seeing Jetfire scan a jet. On the way home, she inquired the Autobot about the specifics of scanning.

"Despite spending so much time with you guys, you never seem to stop surprising me." Gina smiled and leaned back in her seat. "How does it feel? Having your body change like that?"

"To you, it might seem strange, but for us Cybertronians, it's no different from transforming." Flashpoint said. "It's like how you humans grow taller over time. You notice the changes, but it feels natural."

"It's easy to forget that you guys are more than just robots." Gina looked out the window and sighed. "Amazing how something as small as a soul could change things for a person."

"Or complicate matters entirely." Flashpoint added.

Not feeling comfortable with where this conversation was going, Sureshock decided to change the subject to something more light-hearted-like Flashpoint's love life.

"So, Flashpoint," Sureshock clapped her hands. "Jetfire seems to be a bit smitten with you."

"Jetfire is an egotistical flyboy who doesn't take his duties seriously." Flashpoint said in a heartbeat. "Contrary to his wild tales, there is nothing special about him aside from his flight and combat skills."

"Rejected," Gina teased. "I take it this isn't the first time he's hit on you?"

"I lost count of how many times he's asked me out. I mean, I'm trying to fix someone's arm, and he just strolls right in and starts dishing out these one-liners like he's at a sports bar. Seriously, you would think he'd have some tact, being from Vos an all." She ranted, her usual professionalism taking a back seat for just a moment.

"Honestly, I wouldn't have him any other way. He's a good guy, if a little overbearing." Gina said. "Though, he's a bit desperate. You'd think he'd know how to treat a lady."

"To be honest, Jetfire has only been with one other spouse." Flashpoint said. "Deadscream."

"Starscream's sister? The former Seeker commander before him?"

"The very same. I don't know the full details, but Deadscream was quite the lovely femme. She was an ace pilot who taught many Seekers in her time, Jetfire included. They got together around the time of Nominus Prime's regime. When the Decepticons began conquering territory in the Badlands, Deadscream was killed by Starscream when Shockwave came knocking at Vos's door."

"Oh no," Gina said, feeling sorry for Jetfire's lost love. But Flashpoint shot that down quickly.

"Don't feel sorry for her. Somewhere down the line, Deadscream started changing. She had a hair trigger temper to begin with, but it only got worse when her mental state became unhinged. She abused her Seekers on a daily basis, and was especially cruel to Starscream, with Jetfire being treated only marginally better. He and Skyfire hauled aft before Vos fell." She said. "It was the first time I've seen Jetfire so scared. One minute she can be cold and calm, then in a nano-second she'll tear off your head in a blind rage for no reason at all. There were even rumors of her being a cannibal."

"Primus, even Starscream's sister was an asshole." Gina shook her head. "Well, at least we won't have to worry about her, right Flashpoint?"

"Yes. She's gone for good." Flashpoint said, but Gina was able to detect a sense of uncertainty in her voice.

XXXXXX

" **Alert! Alert! Unknown energy signal detected!"**

Teletran-1's sudden alerts sent Optimus and Ratchet into action. The medic quickly typed down the reaction commands to see what they were dealing with. "You think its Ore-13?"

"Possibly." Optimus answered.

As soon as the readings came up, Ratchet couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at the results. "It's not energon. It's…something else. Hmm," Ratchet took a closer look at the screen. "Why do these readings look familiar?"

"Because we've had something similar before." Optimus studied the data and nodded. "Yes, these are very similar to the readings we got from Mjolnir and Gandiva."

"You mean it's another ancient weapon?" Ratchet asked. He looked at the signal's location. "It's coming from Elladas…near Mount Olympus. Want me to call up Jazz's team?"

Optimus thought for a moment. "No, have Tomahawk's unit take this one. It's time to see how well they work together in this setting."

"Do you think that's wise? I have faith in Tomahawk and Flashpoint's abilities, but Rodimus and Sunstreaker make for a…volatile concoction." Ratchet eloquently put it.

"I believe they are fully capable of working as a unit under Tomahawk's direction. I'm more worried about what new weapon Megatron plans on uncovering this time around." Optimus said. "Because we can barely stand against Nightshade's Gandiva bow. The last thing we need is Megatron harnessing the power of gods on this planet."

XXXXXX

Mount Olympus was the center of many myths and legends in the country of Elladas. Believed to be the home of the gods, it was said to have a doorway to the palace of Olympus on its peak, where the gods watched their mortal creations. Of course, none of this was true, as humanity grew more knowledgeable of their world, but Megatron wondered if these so called gods were just dolems playing the part to satisfy their god complex.

He watched as Thundercracker and Skywarp operated the drillers to dig into the base of the mountain, searching for something deep within the earth. There were large concentrations of hephaestium around them, large crystals of the mineral that emitted strong magnetic fields that made the Cons' heads ache. Leader-1 had detected this odd energy signature by chance while searching for ultra-energon, and Megatron wouldn't have cared either way-had Leader-1 not mentioned the similarities the signature had to Nightshade's Gandiva. The chances that this was another weapon of the same caliber of Nightshade's mighty bow was too great to ignore, so he led a small team to Elladas where it was hidden.

"Work quickly!" He growled. "The Autobots will be upon us any minute now, and I will not tolerate another loss at their hands."

"This damn thing better be worth it." Skywarp grumbled. "My wings are starting to cramp from working this stupid machine."

"Shut up or he'll hear you!" Thundercracker hissed. Operating the drillers was a job better suited for the Minicons, but with Thundercracker and Skywarp still on probation, it was within their best interests to relieve the Minicons of their duties until told otherwise. Thundercracker didn't like it, but it was better than being stuck in a CR Chamber like Starscream in stasis.

As the Cons worked excavating their latest find, Flashpoint, Rodimus and Sunstreaker were hiding behind a group of trees, far enough that they wouldn't be detected. Tomahawk was in her helicopter mode watching them from above, hovering over the mountain and unseen from any sensor array. She was their eye in the sky.

"Do you have a visual on the weapon?" Tomahawk asked.

"No, they haven't uncovered it yet." Rodimus said, squinting his eyes for a better look. "I can't see a damn thing with Demolishor's iron ass in the way. Maybe if I just get a better look…"

"Don't try it. They'll spot you before you can get close." Flashpoint said.

"But we can't let them get the weapon-or whatever it is they're digging up." Sunstreaker whispered.

"Yes, we can." She replied. "Let them dig up our prize for us. Then we move in."

Skywarp continued moving the driller into the mountainside, keeping a firm hold on the control levers. Then out of nowhere, his driller hit something and a violent electrical surge went through his machine. Skywarp yelped and jumped off as is control panel began to smoke and blew out, while the driller itself shook and went still, sparks and smoke billowing along its structure.

"What the hell was that?" Skywarp breathed.

Megatron looked at the spot the driller was digging and took a closer look. Something was glowing in the rock-a faint, golden light seeping through the cracks. He fired a blast at the drill to make some room and blast away the stone. Waving away the smoke, he was happy to see it was just the thing he was searching for.

The weapon in question was no sword or spear, but a long piece of white crystal. It was long enough to reach Megatron's waist, and had a jagged shape to it, like a thunderbolt. Faint trickles of electricity laced along its form, humming like a battery in use. Megatron grinned and reached for it.

"No you don't Megatron!"

Rodimus came dashing out of the trees, firing bolts of electrostatic energy from the pipes on his forearms. He caught Megatron in the face and Demolishor in the leg, staggering him. Thundercracker and Skywarp were quick to respond, firing their laser cannons at the Autobot. Suntreaker and Flashpoint also rushed to fight the Cons, and Tomahawk was laying down cover fire from above.

"She's here?" Thundercracker muttered, with an annoyed grunt. He recognized Tomahawk's color scheme and cursed. "Wonderful."

Tomahawk pelted Megatron with continuous missile fire that engulfed him in large explosions. Demolishor transformed to tank mode and began shooting pulsar blasts from the energy turrets mounted on his alt mode's hull. Tomahawk was forced back, but Sunstreaker and Flashpoint were able to sneak in a little closer with the heavy set Con occupied.

As for Rodimus, he was making a beeline straight for the weapon. He ducked under a laser bolt from Thundercracker, leaping up to kick the blue Seeker in the face before landing and leaping at the thunderbolt. A grin spread across his face as he grasped the smooth cut surface of the Thunderbolt in his hand and pulled.

Only to be stricken with an intense surge of electricity coursing through his body. Rodimus screamed as he felt every circuit in his body get painfully electrocuted by the weapon, his body spasming from the thousands of volts being channeled through his arm and down his legs to the ground. He managed to find the strength to let go, falling onto his back with smoke rising from his form and unable to move.

"Hot Rod!" Sunstreaker yelled.

Megatron chuckled and walked over to the Thunderbolt. "Foolish Autobot, you don't realize that weapons as powerful as these choose who wields them. It is only fitting that a weapon held by the king of gods would choose me!"

Megatron wrapped his fingers around the crystalline Thunderbolt and pulled. It gave off a strong discharge that shattered the rock around it and blew it free. Megatron smiled and held his new weapon up victoriously as bolts of lightning tore up the ground around him.

"Oh slag." Tomahawk said.

"Let's test it out on our resident maverick here." Megatron pointed the weapon at the downed Rodimus, but was hit by a volley of missiles from Tomahawk. Though not doing any serious damage, they were strong enough to burn warped holes into his chest plate and detonated inside his armor. Megatron hissed and raised his Thunderbolt. "Behold, the power of gods!"

The Thunderbolt glowed brightly and when Megatron threw the bolt, it moved at the speed of light, even faster than Gandiva's energy arrows. Like real lightning, it moved faster than the boom that followed, nearly hitting Tomahawk and tearing a path through the forest behind her. Just a second later, there was a loud crackle that ripped through the air and nearly forced everyone to cover their audio receptors. Though he missed his target, Megatron was pleased with the chaos his weapon caused.

"Impressive. I'd like to see Nightshade compete against this!" Megatron laughed.

Two missiles caught him in the chest and he looked down to see Sunstreaker driving circles around him in car mode. The golden yellow mech fired another two missiles from the pod rising out of his hood, but Megatron batted them away with little regard for the damage they caused. With another wave of his Thunderbolt, he carved a deep trench in the ground with a powerful lightning bolt that uprooted the forest floor. Demolishor yelped as he drove in reverse to avoid a bolt that nearly tore into his treads. Skywarp teleported away from the epicenter and Thundercracker hung on for the ride. Sunstreaker himself was blasted away onto his hood, transforming to jump away from another bolt fired at him.

"I don't plan on wasting this weapon on you grunts! Bring me Prime!" Megatron roared. "I want to see his face as I burn every circuit in his body!"

"D-did someone say burn?"

Megatron started as he was grabbed from behind by Rodimus, who grabbed him into a master lock (which was very ineffective as he was shorter than the mech he was trying to restrain) and held on tight. Megatron tried to throw him off when he felt Rodimus's body begin heating up rapidly. Rodimus grinned.

"Flame on!"

A little design quirk in Rodimus's design enabled him to superheat the air around him by increasing the temperature of his endoskeleton. The result was a very brief but strong explosion brought about by combustion that created flames hot enough to melt steel. Of course, Megatron only suffered severe burns and wasn't killed by the attack, but it did stun him long enough for him to lose his grip on the Thunderbolt.

"Tomahawk!" Flashpoint yelled, racing towards Rodimus, who was falling back from Megatron.

Tomahawk transformed and dived for the Thunderbolt, detaching the rotors on her back and turning them into a fast spinning saw. Megatron also dived forward, snatching up the Thunderbolt and swinging it at the Autobot. The two weapons clashed in a bright flash and the deafening boom that followed nearly shattered Tomahawk and Megatron's audio receptors. There was a powerful shock wave that blew them both away from each other and sent them rolling across the ground. Tomahawk stopped at the foot of a tree dazed, but Megatron was already forcing himself up, trying to get the ringing out of his head.

"You filthy little cur!" He growled and shook his head. He could barely hear himself. He felt something crack in his hands and looked down. It was the Thunderbolt…and it was cracking! "No…"

"And they say lightning never strikes twice." Rodimus quipped, getting to his knees. "Don't fall to pieces over it, Megs. It happens to everyone."

"Oh god, just shut up." Flashpoint groaned.

Megatron watched as his weapon grew spiderweb cracks along its surface. The prismatic construction of the Thunderbolt was damaged when Tomahawk's vibro-blades hit it dead center. The intense sound waves generated by the impact had disturbed its crystalline structure and was now causing it to fall apart. The fact that it was discharging large amounts of electricity at the time didn't help it either. All Megatron had to do was turn it over in his hands and it completely broke apart like glass.

The Decepticons cautiously backed away from their enraged leader, who was about to lose his mind over losing a weapon he literally just got. Thundercracker had to admit that it was a pretty sight, seeing the tiny shards glisten in the sun as they fell to the ground. Thankfully Megatron was no mind reader.

"I think we overstayed out welcome." Flashpoint noted. She grabbed Rodimus and helped him up. "Teletran, send us a ground bridge now!"

"Raahh!" Megatron roared and transformed to his tank mode. He drove at the Autobots at full speed, firing bright purple blasts at them from his fusion cannon.

"Come on you stupid tin can, bridge us out!" Sunstreaker grunted. He was trying to carry the recovering Tomahawk, but he could barely pick up her larger form.

A ground bridge appeared behind them just as a fusion blast nearly took off Flashpoint's leg. She and Sunstreaker carried their disabled friends into the ground bridge, but just as they passed into it, Megatron shifted to robot mode and leapt into the portal. He rammed into Flashpoint, knocking her and Rodimus off their feet. Flashpoint was pinned to the floor of the swirling emerald vortex of the portal's interior, with Megatron leaning over her. He slammed a fist in her face, knocking her head back, but he pulled her back up.

"I'm not leaving here without one of your heads!" He snarled. He shoved the barrel of his fusion cannon in her face, but Rodimus slammed into his chest. The move was enough to send them both flying back out of the ground bridge.

"One more for the road!" Rodimus performed another Flame On attack right in Megatron's face. The warlord was engulfed in flames and suffered more serious burns that left him gasping in pain on the ground. Rodimus saw the other Cons approaching him, and quickly ran back into the ground bridge. "Later nerds!"

Demolishor reached for him, but the portal shrunk out of existence, leaving him to fall forward on his face. Thundercracker and Skywarp ran to assist their leader, who was clutching at his burning face.

"Lord Megatron, are you alright?" Skywarp asked.

"Does he look alright, you moron?" Thundercracker hissed. "He just took two explosions to the face! He needs an evac now!"

"Shut up, both of you!" Demolishor yelled. He called the Nemesis for a ground bridge. "Nightshade, have Knockout on standby. Lord Megatron is hurt bad."

The two Seekers helped Megatron into their ground bridge, and all the while, he was grumbling and cursing the Autobots for losing a possible advantage for the umpteenth time. He was going to tear those bastards apart!

XXXXXX

"So we found another one of those ancient weapons the humans once used, and your first action was to shatter it like glass?" Prowl said after Tomahawk briefed him on the mission. "I don't know whether to be impressed or angry."

"Either way, you'd still have the same expression." Rodimus said from his recharge slab. Tomahawk threw him a look that made him shut up.

"With all due respect, Prowl, Megatron was throwing lightning bolts at us that carved up a mountain side. We were lucky to even snatch up those shards." Flashpoint said.

"I am guiltless in this." Sunstreaker said.

Prowl forced back a groan. "That's not the point."

Optimus put a hand on Prowl's shoulder. "Prowl, while I would've also liked to secure the weapon, what matters is that the Decepticons were also cheated of a victory today. And thanks to Ratchet and Wheeljack, we were able to find a small deposit of ore-13 as well. Let's just call it a win for us today."

"Whatever you say, Prime." Prowl waved off the optimistic words with a look of exasperation. Optimus looked at the new additions to the team.

"You all did well for your first mission on Terra, but there is a lot you must learn." He reminded them. "And I'm sure that by working with your human allies, you will acclimate to this world easier."

He was looking at Sunstreaker as he said this, and Rodimus threw the mech a teasing grin.

"Busted."

"Shut it, Hot Rod." Sunstreaker hissed. Rodimus laughed and glanced at Tomahawk.

"Tomahwawk, you wanna head out after this?" He asked her.

"No," Tomahawk said firmly. "You still need to rest. Not to mention that you and Sunstreaker need some traffic 101 with Prowl."

"Say what?!" They exclaimed.

Flashpoint shook her head as she watched Prowl give a _very_ detailed explanation on terran traffic laws and procedures. She winced as she nursed her aching cheek where Megatron hit her. A punch from him almost knocked her out had he not already been weakened by the fighting minutes earlier. Then she heard someone calmly slide up next to her. It was Jetfire.

"No, Jetfire." She said.

"But I didn't say anything!"

"Okay," Flashpoint looked at him. "What do you want?"

"Do you-"

"No."

"Come on, you're literally not doing anything now. I'm totally free, so why don't we spend our free time taking a tour of the nice blue planet we live on?"

Flashpoint gave him a firm look, and though he lacked a visible facial features, Jetfire was trying to looking reassuring and welcome for her sake. The medic knew he wasn't going to stop until she went with him at least once (which was a credible Jetfire courting technique used for generations), granted…it would be smart to see more of the world she was going to be fighting on for the near future.

Thinking she would regret this, Flashpoint gave in to Jetfire's pitiful pleas. "Fine, I'll go with you."

"Yes!" Jetfire threw an arm around her shoulders. "You won't regret it, Flash!"

"Don't touch me."

"Sorry!"

Needless to say, it was a long night for Flashpoint and the best one of his life for Jetfire. The rest of the night would be noisy and hectic for the new team of Autobots living in the Ark, but one thing was certain-it was a welcome change for the earthbound Autobots of Team Prime.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait for the chapter. I've been slacking a bit with some of my stories, but I think I'm back in the game now. We've got some standalone chapters after this, with everyone's favorite blue Seeker starring with Tomahawk in the next one! Thanks for reading and please review.**


	23. Cage of Eden

Chapter 23-Cage of Eden

When one flies for most of their life for a living, it pays to know how to read the weather. Nature is neither your friend nor your enemy, it does what it wants to do, and you must work with it, not against it. That being said, trying to fly through a hurricane over the Pacific is that one time where you shouldn't try to fight against nature. Unfortunately for Thundercracker, Decepticons were gluttons for punishment, whether they wanted it or not.

It began as a rare encounter between flyers. Still on probation by Megatron, Thundercracker and Skywarp were running their third recon mission that day, during a thunderstorm of all things. Thundercracker was on the verge of tearing out Skywarp's vocoder is he made another terrible joke about his name and the weather when, by pure chance alone, they ran into the Autobots flyers, Jetfire and Tomahawk.

The Autobots hadn't noticed the Seekers yet, and Thundercracker was already cooking up a plan to launch a surprise attack on them. But Skywarp, being less strategy savvy than his Seeker brother, threw any planning out the window as he teleported right on top of them and opened fire. He caught them by surprise, all right, but that advantage faded pretty quickly when the Autobots recovered and Jetfire was on his ass in a heartbeat. This led to Tomahawk also pelting the purple outlier with a deadly barrage of incendiary rounds and laser guided missiles.

'And here I am, risking my ass saving this dumb frag.' Thundercracker thought angrily. 'The dumb one _would_ get the teleportation power.'

The dark grey storm clouds were alight with explosions and laser fire from both sides. The Seekers were locked in a dogfight with Jetfire and Tomahawk, who proved to be just as nimble in the air as an attack helicopter, altering her form into a more mobile form that almost matched Thundercracker's speed. She kept her sights on the Seekers, firing missiles and rocket volleys that continued to give them a hard time. Eventually Skywarp had enough hot dogging and transformed.

"Screw this! Thundercracker, you take the damn chopper!" Skywarp growled. "Jetfire's mine!"

"Because you did so well against him last time!" Thundercracker yelled, but attacked Tomahawk all the same.

"About time someone answered the door." Tomahawk quipped, firing a pair of heat seekers at Thundercracker. He transformed and shot them down.

"I was busy dealing with my less intelligent roommate!" Thundercracker deployed his bayonets. "Now, let's dance!"

Tomahawk transformed and met his charge with her own melee weapon, a durabilyum pincer claw. Lightning flashed, followed by a loud boom that rattled the air. In all the fighting, no one realized that fighting in a thunderstorm while being made of metal was a health hazard of the highest order. Thankfully, Jetfire realized it in time.

"Hawk, we need to bail!" Jetfire called out. "The storm's getting' worse!"

"Didn't peg you for a coward, Jetfire!" Skywarp teleported behind him and fired his laser bursts into Jetfire's back. "You afraid of a little rain?"

"It's not the rain I'm worried about." Jetfire said. He also teleported to Skywarp, but not behind him. It was a fake-out maneuver to get Skywarp to expose his back, as he reappeared where Skywarp was facing previously and jammed his particle cannon into Skywarp's back. "Made you look."

Skywarp took a few rounds from the particle cannon that tore into his back and nearly took off both his wings. It was only a second or two before he teleported away, but the damage was enough that he was struggling to remain airborne and conscious. Skywarp coughed and glared at Jetfire. "L-like I'm afraid of a little thun-"

The lightning bolt that caught Skywarp in the chest was quick but powerful. There was a bright flash that lasted only a millisecond, but the damage done to the Seeker was immense. One bolt was hot enough to rival the temperatures of the sun itself for just a few seconds, and that heat surged through Skywarp's body, electrocuting his systems and blowing a hole in his chest plate. His eyes went dark as he went into stasis lock and fell into the clouds, disappearing from view.

"Rule 1 of Terra: don't piss off Mother Nature." Jetfire remarked and looked around for his partner. "Where are you, Hawk?"

Tomahawk grunted from a slash to her arm and spun around, elbowing Thundercracker in the nose.

"Ow, my nose!"

"Don't be a baby!"

"Hawk, we need to go! Like, right now!" Jetfire flew after them. He yelped as a loud thunderclap crackled next to him. When they didn't stop fighting, he sighed and transformed to jet mode. "Looks like papa's gonna have to use the belt."

He fired a proton missile at them. The missile exploded right between them, forcing them apart. Tomahawk coughed from the smoke she inhaled and glared at Jetfire.

"What was that for you idiot?" She yelled over the rushing winds and heavy rains. Jetfire reverted to robot mode.

"We need to bounce before we all get zapped like Skywarp. Somethin's not right with this storm."

"I know one thing that's not right," Thundercracker pointed his guns at Jetfire. "You being alive!"

"Don't even try it!" Tomahawk rammed into Thundercracker and grabbed his arm to divert his aim. Jetfire moved to break them apart and drag Tomahawk away himself when Comettor gave a panicked warning.

"Jetfire it's too late! I an already feel the air heating up. There's going to be another lightning str-"

The clouds swirled around them in a manner that was anything but natural, and in a similarly unnatural display of natural power, multiple lightning bolts were fired from the clouds, hitting Tomahawk and Thundercracker. Too slow to react, they were engulfed in a violent discharge of electricity that paralyzed them on the spot. But instead of plunging to earth like Skywarp, the second the bolt vanished…so did they. And Jetfire was left alone in the sky without a clue as to what happened.

XXXXXX

"The storm's getting worse."

Jetta grunted in response to her brother's words. The weather had been terrible lately, with downpours causing local floods that made hunting damn near fatal (more so than usual). She sat on a branch of an oak tree, safe from the majority of the downpour thanks to the thick branches over her head. Her auburn hair swayed slightly behind her from the strong, humid winds. Her brother stood next to her, balanced on the balls of his feet as he sniffed the air.

"I smell something." Fabian said.

"Is it food?" Jetta grumbled, poking the trunk with her spear. "Because I'm ready eat a Jasconius."

"No, this is not natural. I smell…oil and metal." He said, frowning. Jetta also grew concerned as he strained his senses. "It comes from above us. Metal, smoke, flames. I think there's-"

There was a flash that startled the siblings and they shot to their feet as two large forms shot over the treetops. They were covered in smoke, and they fell into the forest like two meteors. Jetta and Fabian held on fast as the ground shook from the impact of the giant bodies. They gaped as trees were knocked over and two craters were formed in the earth.

"What was that?" Fabian asked with wide eyes.

Jetta narrowed hers and gripped her spear. "Trouble."

XXXXXX

The first thing Thundercracker heard upon waking up was the sound of birds chirping. Once his audio receptors recalibrated, he was able to hear the sounds of his environment more clearly now. He groaned and waved his hand at the sound as if to drive it away.

"Go away, stupid bird."

"I'm not a bird."

Thundercraker's eyes popped open and saw Tomahawk leaning over him. He gave a yelp that _totally_ wasn't feminine in any way and shot up. "Get away from me!"

"You're welcome." Tomahawk said and stood up. "In case you're wondering, we got zapped and fell to earth. We're in a forest of some kind, but I don't really know where in the world we are."

Thundercracker took in their surroundings. They were in the middle of a clearing they landed in the night before, with evidence of their descent visible through uprooted trees and deep trenches dug into the dirt. The forest they resided in felt murky and humid, with fog covering most of the area from their sight. He scowled and stood up, brushing dirt from his legs.

"Well," He said, glancing at the fog covered clearing. "We are definitely in a place we're not supposed to be."

"Very astute of you, Thundercracker." Tomahawk remarked, earning a glare from him.

"Don't get snippy with me. I recall your partner yelling at you to fall back." Thundercracker crossed his arms. "You didn't so much as spare him a glance."

"And you weren't exactly trying to leave either." She replied. "What's your excuse."

"Decepticons don't run, they conquer." Thundercracker said haughtily. "I'm going to find Skywarp and have him get me the hell out of here. Feel free to hang out with the fleshies in this pit."

Tomahawk started when she saw the blue Seeker start to transform. "Wait, don't!"

Thundercracker converted into jet mode and took off into the air. He only made it about a few feet over the forest before he was seized with pain, like he flew headfirst into an EMP field. He grunted in exertion and cursed when he felt himself losing altitude. Thundercracker fell back down to terra firma, smashing through some more trees and hitting the ground nose first. Tomahawk ran over to him as he transformed back and punched a tree trunk.

"What the hell did you do to me!" He sneered.

"Nothing! I can't fly out of here either." She said honestly. "I tried to fly out of here as soon as I woke up, but the minute I get a few feet off the ground, I stall and fall back down. I have no idea what's causing it."

"And you didn't detect any devices? EMPs, inhibitor webs, nothing?" Thundercracker asked.

"None that I could see or sense. And our comms are out as well, so don't expect to be making any phone calls."

"Frag me." He grumbled and leaned against a tree, making the bark groan from his weight pressing on it. "I'm stuck with you now?"

"It would see so." She sighed.

"So what do we do? Live here as hermits until we start to rust and fall apart?"

"We could try finding the humans that live here." Tomahawk said and pointed at the trail of smoke rising in the distance. "If that's made by humans, then we could probably figure out where we are and work our way up from there."

"Who's this 'us'? When did we become a team?" He huffed.

"When we got glitch slapped by nature and stranded in some forest with no way out and no way to call for help." Tomahawk replied and marched past Thundercracker, dragging him behind her. "Now work those legs, Crackerjack."

"Don't call me that!" He hissed, but followed her anyway. This planet was going to kill him one day.

XXXXXX

It wasn't long into their low altitude flight that the pair learned that even without the ability to fly higher, the skies were dangerous. Large dragon-like creatures called Drakes would periodically fly overhead and were not afraid of attacking two Cybertronians. Their long, serpentine bodies would slither through the air like snakes on paper thin and snap at them with long mouths full of sharp teeth capable of tearing into composite armor. It only took a few rounds from their guns to scare the Drakes off, but the sudden appearance of a dragon forced them to land.

"This is stupid." Thundercracker grumbled, cutting down a branch in his path. "I was supposed to be at the Nemesis by now, sitting back with a cold one in hand, but no. That stupid frag head Skywarp just had to try to rack up a kill count. I'm going to shove my fist so far up his aft-"

"Thundercracker please, I don't need you to go into detail. Besides, I don't know why you're surprised, Skywarp's not the sharpest tool in the forge." Tomahawk said.

Thundercracker whirled around and shoved an accusing finger in her face. "Don't act like you're on my side. It's because I tangled with you scrapheaps that I'm stuck here in this damn hellhole!"

"Stop acting hysterical!" She hissed. "And keep your voice down. We're almost at the human settlement and we can't just waltz in there in our natural forms."

"Well, let's just use our holomatters to talk to them, then. I'm sure we both have enough energon to use them for the rest of the evening." He said.

They transformed into their alt modes, which were a little cramped in the dense forest, and generated their holomatters. As expected, their avatars were reflective of how they saw themselves based on their prior knowledge of humans. Tomahawk's avatar looked like a female biplane pilot-a fair skinned woman clad in an old school aviator's suit with goggles and everything. Her humans features were like that of an old black and white movie actress with bright orange hair curled around her ears and sparkling hazel brown eyes. In fact, her avatar had startling similarities to Amelia Earheart in some places.

Thundercracker's avatar was a bit more outlandish. If Tomahawk's avatar was too out of date, then his avatar was too modern. He had the appearance of some teenage punk rock band leader, clad in a sleeveless black muscle shirt, tight leather pants and pale skin with spiky dark blue hair. Tomahawk held back a chuckle and looked away when he glared at her.

"That's a wicked widow's peak, Thundercracker."

"Shut up!" He grumbled. "Let's just get this over with."

They walked the rest of the way to the edge of the forest, where they found themselves walking down a smooth stone path with grassy plains around them. About a mile in there were the first signs of habitation in the form of houses here and there. It looked like a homely community, the humans there had varying skin tones that ranged from light to dark, and Thundercracker noted that many of the adults looked reasonably athletic. Not to mention they were all wearing clothes made from fur and leather that barely covered their bodies.

'Aren't these people cold?' Tomahawk wondered. She turned and saw a young boy playing by the sign post and waved to him. "Hello there!"

The boy spun around, eyes widening as he saw people he didn't recognize. Tomahawk had Thundercracker stay back as she held her hands up to show that she wasn't a threat.

"Sorry to scare you, but we need help." She said. "Could you point us towards where your town leader is? Someone we can talk to? We're desperately in need of help and-"

The boy gave a frightened yelp and, to the surprised of the disguised Cybertronians, his body seemed to morph into a small grey-furred wolf pup. The pup-boy dashed back towards his house, leaving the stunned bots behind.

"D-did that kid just turn into a puppy?" Thundercracker stammered. "Oh, I hate this planet so much."

"We're certainly not in Delpoi anymore, are we?" Tomahawk remarked, still trying to process what happened.

"Why good morning!"

"Ah!" The holo-avatars jumped as a voice spoke to them from behind. They spun around and saw a young girl smiling at them.

"Hello, you two don't look like you're from around here. Are you two lost?" The girl asked. She, like the rest of her people, wore little more than thin furs over her body. Her arms, legs and stomach were exposed, and they were defined and toned, like that of an athlete. Her auburn hair was short, stopping at her shoulders and her blue eyes were like deep pools, not leaving them for a second.

Tomahawk quickly gathered herself and introduced them. "Um, hi. I'm…Amelia, and this is my friend Rick."

"Really?" Thundercracker droned.

"We're pilots, and we crashed here last night. We were wondering if we could find some help from your village leader, if you have one." Tomahawk continued.

"Well you've ran into the right girl. I'm Lucinda and welcome to my village!" The girl smiled. "Follow me and I'll introduce you to our leaders. Where did you two come from, exactly? Those clothes aren't common around these parts."

Tomahawk and Thundercracker glanced at each other as Lucinda led them towards her village. Tomahawk decided to handle this one. "Um, we're from a place far, far away. It's a land called Delpoi. The place is across the ocean, and we were flying back home when this freak storm caused us to crash."

"Ohhh, that explains your strange clothes. I've heard of Delpoi from the other tribes, but that storm is something new. Despite the humidity, the weather here in Nyx is usually pleasant, though a bit unbearable at times."

Thundercracker froze. "Nyx? That's where we are?"

"But I thought we were over the Pacific." Tomahawk muttered. What happened? There was no way they could've fallen nearly a thousand miles into the middle of Terra's most savage continent.

"Yup. The land of beasts. A bit of a hazard for tourists, but if you two were able to survive the trek here, then I think you'll manage." Lucinda chirped before continuing down the road.

Thundercracker traded a worried glance with Tomahawk before following their guide. This little excursion of theirs' just went sideways before the action kicked off.

XXXXXX

Nyx was uncharted territory for both humans and Cybertronians. The creatures that inhabited the continent were unique to the land itself, populated by creatures that had abnormally strong bodies and natural weapons strong enough to give human-made tanks and talos a run for their money. In a nutshell, they could best be described as "fantastical". Humans steered clear of the land for good reason, but one thing always kept man coming back for more-hephaestium. All throughout Nyx there were large, untouched pockets of hephaestium deep underground and in the mountains, a literal gold mine. Despite the abundance of dangerous creatures populating Nyx, many hephaestium distribution companies sought the precious mineral within its boundaries, though few ventured any farther past the sandy beaches that were bordered by rocky cliffs.

For the warring Cybertronians, they held few mission in Nyx for the very same mission. It provided little strategic value, and no energon had been detected as of yet or any Minicons, and the wildlife, particularly dragons, were especially vicious to their presence. It certainly wasn't enough to deter Megatron from paying a few visits, until a rather nasty encounter with a flock of Rocs, giant eagle-like birds that feast on elephants that he chose to leave the place alone-for now.

So it was rather strange for Tomahawk and Thundercracker to find a thriving community of espers living within its borders unharmed and happy as a little tribe could be. The people had made their homes within a valley that was surrounded on all sides by tall rock walls eroded by the continued moisture of the humid climate. The entrance to the valley was the only way in or out, and that place was surrounded by farmland and guard outposts (if one could call those little huts outposts. They were more akin to easily disposable homes, mostly made for housing the warriors that needed nothing more than their senses to keep an eye out).

Here the people lived in wooden houses, and dressed in light clothing made from furs and leathers. They wore just enough to cover their modesty, but nothing more, and they either wore little boots or just went barefoot. Their tools were made from wood and stone, while their weapons were probably the only pieces of metal in their possession. Thundercracker thought humanity as a whole was primitive, but these guys took it to a completely different level. They looked like cave men but lived like kings, bountiful and happy.

Thundercracker looked to his left and saw a woman change into a wolf/human hybrid of some kind, grey fur sprouting all over her body and a tail emerging from her tailbone. Not too far away he saw two men who were rough-housing change into giant wolves that were about the size of a full grown horse. Thundercracker blinked and was about to inquire as to what the hell all this was when Tomahawk put a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head. Now wasn't the time.

The house where the tribal leaders lived was a little larger than the other houses, but not as extravagant as one would think. Lucinda knocked on the door and seconds later a tall man with a lean build and long, slicked back golden hair greeted them. His green eyes brightened as he gave the newcomers a smile.

"Lucinda, I see you've brought us some visitors. It's been a while since we've had people from the outside." The man held out his hand. "I'm Brendan. Welcome to our valley home. I take it you come from one of the other tribes?"

"Actually, these two are humans. They've been stranded here during the storm last night and they're in need of help." Lucinda said.

"Well, you've come to the right place." Brendan said. "Please, come in."

He allowed Tomahawk and Thundercracker into his home, which had two floors with three rooms. The place was nice and warm, very homely and serene. Even Thundercracker had to admit that it was a nice looking place. Brendan escorted them to the living room, where his wife was waiting for them by the fireplace. Once everyone was situated, they explained their situation to the couple as best they could, which wasn't hard given that it was partially true.

"So you were at the heart of that terrible storm last night. I'm surprised you two are still able to walk. The winds and lightning storms were absolutely appalling." Said Azelea, Brendan's wife. She also had dark blonde hair and though she was a little shorter than her husband, she was just as fit dressed in thin fur clothes that left most of her body bare. "Well, you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like, though I have no idea how you plan to get back to your land."

"We're…trying to sort that little problem out." Tomahawk said nervously. "But I must admit, now that I know we're in Nyx, it makes travel a little harder around her."

"Don't despair child, Nyx may be a hostile land, particularly to foreigners, here in the valley you are safe under the watchful eye of our goddess." Azalea said smiling.

Slightly unnerved by that remark, Thundercracker decided to get straight to the point. "So how come you guys are living this deep in Nyx? I've never heard of any people living here."

"And that you had espers among your people." Tomahawk gave Thundercracker a look and he glared back at her. "Um, is that transformation common in everyone here?"

"Why, of course!" Brendan's appearance changed as fluidly as the other shifters. He grew taller and sprouted russet brown fur all over his body. His fingers extended into claws ad his face grew slightly more lupine, though not enough to mask his human features.

Azalea's transformation was no different as she also grew russet fur with white patches on her neck and chest, and her body growing enough to make her fur clothes strain against her bulk. Honestly, Tomahawk wondered if Azelea even cared if her clothes were ripped apart by her increased muscle mass. The people living here were far from conservative.

Thundercracker was trying to process how smooth the transformations were. Thanks to Knockout's casual Fridays at the drive-in movie theaters (which he would sometimes drag Thundercracker to) he saw werewolf movies in which humans would go through a dramatic series of painful twisting of flesh, violent convulsions and snapping of bones upon changing into their monstrous forms. There were no groans of pain, no screams of agony or people exploding out of their skin-just smooth shifting from one form to another. It was like watching an organic version of humans transforming like Cybertronians and it was as creepy as it was fascinating.

"We beast-kin have lived here in Nyx for generations, longer than any of our elders remember." Azelea said, sounding as sweet and kind as she was in her human form. "Our ancestors came here to escape persecution from the humans who have hunted our kind down relentlessly. We are the wolf clan, while there are other tribes of beast-kin who call this land home; leopards, cheetahs, tigers, even mice. We are espers who have adapted to Nyx, evolved to the point where our powers are hereditary. We became the beasts of Nyx's ecosystem but retained our humanity."

"That's amazing. I only seen espers with different powers, even twins are completely different." Tomahawk said. She had learned a lot about this world mainly from Bumblebee and Gina, who explained that esper powers varied wildly from person to person. Even inheriting powers from a parent was considered rare.

"Yes, from the smallest child to the oldest adult, we all have a little bit of wolf within us." Brendan nodded. "It's no secret that Nyx is a land unkind to humans, even us Beast-kin have a hard time living here, prepared as we are. But in this valley, we have found a protector and a provider in the form of our guardian goddess, Lilith."

Brendan pointed to the towering statue hanging above the fireplace. It was a statue depicting a beautiful woman's face in the middle of a snake's body coiling around her head. She was inhumanly beautiful, but displayed a coldness and her eyes were that of a snake's unblinking slitted gaze. Brendan explained that Lilith's watchful gaze, her very presence, keeps the worst of Nyx's vicious animal-life at bay. She had protected them for nearly a decade now, and it was considered to be the most prosperous era of their tribe. Of course, Tomahawk and Thundercracker were skeptical of that claim, but neither chose to denounce the religious beliefs of their hosts.

"Then if we try to leave, we'll be attacked by the big baddies out there?" Tomahawk sighed. The couple gave them apologetic looks.

"I'm sorry. We're not very technologically inclined as you've seen. A consequence of being isolated from the rest of the world for so long." He said.

"But you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need until you're able to call for help, if that's possible." Azalea suggested. "It's almost sundown and this area is even more dangerous at night."

Thundercracker nearly said no, but Tomahawk cut her off, saying that they would be thankful, putting strong emphasis on the word to hammer it in that they had no other choice. He held back a scathing remark and crossed his arms in aggravation. Once again, he was reminded of why he hated Autobots so much-pushy slagheaps.

"That's wonderful! We'll get your rooms prepared right away." Azalea smiled and led the two back outside. "In the meantime, I'll show you around the valley. Can't have you two getting lost now."

Thundercracker frowned. "That'd be-"

"Gracious!" Tomahawk cut in and pushed him out of the house. Thundercracker managed to punched her elbow before he was pushed outside.

Once his visitors were gone, Brendan's smile disappeared and his jovial aura faded to a more serious tone. He faced the statue of Lilith and bowed to it. "It's done, my lady. The intruders will be kept here."

" _Good,"_ A raspy voice hissed from the statue, whose eyes glowed faintly. " _Send a search party to the forest. If their proxies are here, then their real bodies are nearby. Scout the surrounding area, leave no stone unturned, even if you have to uproot every tree in this forest!"_

Brendan nodded. "As you command, goddess."

XXXXXX

The day went by quickly for Tomahawk and Thundercracker as they were taken around a tour through the village. It was astonishing at how peaceful and happy they were, as though they were living in a paradise instead of a savage land. Azalea had even shown them the fighting arena, where tribe members would test their strength or suitors would duel for the hand of a mate. Seeing two beast-kin fighting fiercely in their hybrid forms like actual wolves hammered in how savage and beastly these people could be despite their outward appearance. They had long since stopped calling themselves humans and saw themselves as a part of Nyx's fauna-predators in human skin.

Night had come and Azelea had placed the two inside one of the spare rooms in her home. It was lavishly furnished, not to the point of wealth, but enough to make one feel at home and safe. Even as fake humans the two Cybertronians didn't mind spending the night here if their circumstances were different.

"If you need anything, just call me." Azelea said. Tomahawk nodded.

"We will, thank you." She said politely. Once Azelea was gone, she glared at Thundercracker, who was lying in a hammock on the other side of the room. "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem? Did you forget we're on opposite sides of the civil war? We're not supposed to be hanging out like we're on a camping trip, sweetheart. What do you think is my problem?" He grumbled.

"For Prime's sake, could you not be like that right now? We're in no position to be fighting, especially since we can't even fly out of here and call for help." Tomahawk said.

"It was your fault to begin with!"

"No, it was the fault of your boneheaded partner." She replied. "You certainly like keeping unintelligent company, do you?"

"Says the femme partnered with Jetfire." Thundercracker retorted. "How much shanix did Prime pay you to fly in the same airspace as that blowhard?"

Tomahawk stomped up to him, her expression furious. "At least Jetfire is competent, more so than your precious leader, Starscream! How can you work under a coward like him?"

"Because he is the leader of the Seekers, he is well within his rights to command us, ineffectual though he may be. And as a Seeker, I am loyal to him as our code dictates." Thundercracker stood up to properly glare at him. "More so than I can say for you and Jetfire, traitors that you are."

"Don't start that with me. We quit the Seekers because Deadscream was a psycho."

"But you would've had a chance at greatness with us. If you had just stayed, you would've lived great lives as the top of the galactic food chain."

"As Decepticons? We supported them when Zeta Prime ruled, but they lost their luster when they started forcing people to join and started a war!" She screamed at him. "Was leveling Praxus in the name of freedom? Or torching Ky-Alexia? I head you were a part of that squadron that bombed that hot spot near Nova Cronum-"

"SHUT UP!" Thundercracker roared. His avatar flickered like a bad image as his concentration faltered. Tomahawk was quiet as she studied him, trying to figure him out.

"What happened to you, Thundercracker? You were no killer. You maybe egotistical and arrogant, but mindless killing has never been your thing." She said softly. "What happened to that mech who protected me from bullies at the aerial academy in Vos? Where was that mech who helped me get over my fear of flying over the skyscrapers in Iacon?"

Thundercracker's expression softened and he looked away. "Nothing happened. I joined the Decepticons of my own free will. It was a time of revolution, we were fighting the oppression of the Prime and her token senate."

"Don't give me that slag!" Tomahawk hissed with such scorn it made him take a step back. "You don't get to use that excuse when Cons all over the galaxy are ravaging entire worlds for the sake of conquest. They won when Megatron killed Zeta. But you fools took it a step further and torched the very world you professed to save. Cybertron is dead, Thundercracker, and the only way you Cons can mask your failure is by strutting around, waving your guns like a bunch of second-rate Quintessons."

The two hoo-avatars, once friends during their days in the Vosian Aerospace Academy, glared at each other as enemies. Centuries of pent up frustration and pain came to the surface and neither bot was afraid of hurting the other's feelings. Fortunately, their argument was cut short when the door creaked open.

"Go away!" Thundercracker snapped. "We're busy…"

He trailed off when he saw that it wasn't Azelea, but a violet furred man with a cloak over his muscular form. Thundercracker immediately rushed forward and attacked the intruder without a second thought. he threw a punch at the man, but the intruder spun around his fist and flanked him in a single move. Thundercracker threw a kick at him, but the man grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.

"I'm not here to hurt you!" The man whispered. "I'm a friend."

"I'm friends with no human!" Thundercracker growled. He made his avatar intangible, allowing the man to passed through him, before slipping behind the intruder and grabbing him in an arm lock. "Who are you and who sent you?"

"Thundercracker, stop! You're hurting him." Tomahawk said

"This guy was sent to kill us, Tomahawk!" he said. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted these humans."

"No, I'm not here to harm either of you," The man grunted. "I'm here to warn you."

"About what?" Tomahawk asked.

"A-about our tribe's leaders. They know, the entire village knows that you're not human. Right now they've sent hunters into the forest to search for your real bodies."

Tomahawk and Thundercracker looked at each other in shock. She pulled the man from Thundercracker's hold and helped him to his feet. he took off his cloak and presented himself, a light violet furred wolf-man with a strong physique. He was a head taller than Thundercracker, but the Con was still sizing him up.

"How do you know about us?" tomahawk questioned. Her tone was soft, but firm. Having your cover blown in a land of monsters was serious business. "What's going on?"

"I don't have time to explain, but this village, it's not right anymore." He said urgently. "All I can tell you right now is that these people know you're not human and they're planning to kill you in the forest."

"With what? Spears and claws?" Thundercracker snorted. "You humans don't have any weapons that can hurt us, even those made of hephaestium."

"They aren't using weapons, they've set loose a beast that roams the northern plains," He said. "A Stalker."

Thundercracker lost his smiled and looked at the man with wide eyes. "A Stalker? How-forget it, we need to go now!"

"Wait, what's a Stalker?" Tomahawk asked, puzzled by her foe's sudden change in attitude.

"The reason Megatron never comes back to Nyx anymore." The Seeker said and his Holomatter vanished before she could inquire further.

"You must go before we are both discovered." The wolf-man urged her. "My sister and her mate are near your position. They will explain what you need to know."

He turned to leave but, Tomahawk stopped him. "Hold on, what's your name?"

"Sandor."

"I'm Tomahawk." She said. She was still wary of him, but she followed his warnings anyway. "Will you be all right?"

"I will, now go. I will meet you and your companion later."

Tomahawk nodded and disengaged her Holomatter. She wasn't even completely gone before Sandor was out the door, quickly sneaking away from the house and out of the village.

XXXXXXX

When their consciousness returned, Tomahawk and Thundercracker went to their humanoid forms and drew their weapons. It was the middle of the night and it was pitch black, with only their optics providing light. Fortunately, they set their optical settings to night vision in order to see better, not that there was much to see in the first place.

"Do you see anything?" Tomahawk asked.

"No," Thundercracker said. "But you won't detect it until its right on top of you."

"Okay then, what are we dealing with? Or is trading information with an Autobot below you?" She said. He ignored her and explained the situation.

"A Stalker is one of the top predators that live in this region of Nyx. Those toothy bastards are large, a fully grown one reach's up to my waist and they had teeth and claws that can tear through our armor like tissue paper." He said. "When we first started exploring this place, Megatron had a run-in with these things. It attacked us, nearly gutted Starscream and tore Megatron's left arm off after stomping Knockout into the ground. We had to have Skywarp warp us back to the beaches."

"Did you beat one?"

"Nor exactly-" Thundercracker paused when he heard a growl behind him and turned to see a gaping maw lunge at him. "Scrap!"

Thundercracker took a large paw to his chest, claws digging into his chest plate and knocking him down. The beast roared and pounced on him, but a few hundred rounds from Tomahawk's guns forced it back. For some reason, aside from its claws and teeth, she could barely see it, and her thermal vision wasn't helping either. She ran over to Thundercracker and helped him up while still shooting at the creature, who revealed its monstrous form.

Thundercracker wasn't exaggerating when he called it a monster. The Stalker looked like it didn't even belong to this planet, much less Nyx. It was a massive creature with a hardened muscular form that looked like a cross between a dinosaur, a panther and a bear trap, with long, powerful talons and a large jaw full of eighteen inch razor sharp fangs. Its leathery hide was a dusty red, like the rocky, arid regions that it normally inhabited. The creature was indeed around half the size of Thundercracker, reaching his waist in height and that allowed it to have no problem matching the Cybertronians in strength.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Tomahawk growled, raising her gun. "I don't have all damn night."

The stalker roared, which sounded more like a dying scream, before charging at her. Tomahawk fired her gun, but it swerved between the trees as it closed in on her. The stalker swiped at her with its claws, and she ducked under it, spinning around to bury her arm blades into its stomach. Surprisingly, the stalker managed to push off her and leap back, only getting a shallow cut on its hind leg. It chomped down on the barrel of her gun and crunched the weapon in its teeth before pulling it from her grasp and tossing it away. Tomahawk used this chance to stab her knife in its shoulder, but quickly jumped back to avoid getting her arm bitten off. Once she got some distance between her and the stalker, she saw the beast do something she didn't expect it to do.

It went invisible. This carnivorous, primal animal had the intelligence to give her a chillingly toothy grin as its body slowly faded from view, its skin shifting to match its dark environment. It was completely gone from her field of view within seconds.

"Hell no!" Tomahawk said through gnashed teeth. "This thing can turn invisible? When were you going to tell me that?"

"I forgot!" Thundercracker replied as he stood up. "Get down!"

Tomahawk did and Thundercracker fired his laser cannons nonstop, shooting at the trees around them. It was a risky move, but it paid off as a few of his rounds caught the invisible stalker in the shoulder. Blood spurted from an unseen wound and the creature howled in pain. Thundercracker then used that chance to fire of a few more rounds into its mouth, and it reeled back in agony, going silent as it faded from view again. Tomahawk and Thundercracker now stood back to back.

"That thing can take a lot of punishment." Tomahawk remarked.

"It's probably trained to only leave its prey on command. I'm still wondering how the hell they've managed to capture this thing." He said.

"Hold up," Tomahawk listened closely and heard gagging. "I think I can hear it coughing."

"I do too." Thundercracker brought out one of his bayonets and charged forward. He slashed at the spot where the gagging was heard and felt his blade slice through flesh. The stalker growled and rammed into his chest, sending him to the ground. "Slag!"

The stalker stomped on his chest, digging its talons into his chest plate and further worsening the already bad wounds there. Keeping Thundercracker pinned, the stalker went to bite his head, but Thundercracker shoved his arm into its mouth, stabbing his bayonet into the roof of its mouth and into its brain. Tomahawk jumped on its back and stabbed her pincer blades into the back of its spine, near the nape of its neck. The pair didn't let up on their gruesome assault of the beast until its struggles lessened and it stopped moving entirely.

"Finally, for frag's sake." Thundercracker pulled his arm out of the dead stalker's mouth, wincing at the fangs that were stuck in his forearm. He pushed the corpse aside and sat up. "Little bastard. Just as much of a pain to fight like last time."

"If Sandor was telling the truth, then those people sent this thing after us." Tomahawk said.

"Sandor?"

"The guy who warned us." She answered. "Now, we need to figure out how they figured out we're not human."

"Who knows? Maybe they have a telepath in that stupid village." Thundercracker stood up. "Either way, they're gonna wish they ever saw my face when I'm done with them!"

"You will no such thing alien."

The two bots sun around to the unannounced speaker and saw two people standing on the branch of the nearest tree. A man and a woman, both beast-kin. In their hybrid forms, the man was covered in grey fur and was large, even by beast-kin standards, with a powerful, bulky form, while his female companion had auburn hair and reddish fur with piercing blue eyes. Both beast-kin were also dressed in furs that barely hung on their form.

"No fancy moves fleshies or we'll blow you to bloody chunks!" Thundercracker yelled. "Don't think we won't do it. I'm still ready to slag a glitch!"

"Show some restraint, you moron." Tomahawk said and walked towards the humans. "We mean you no harm. Who are you?"

The man jumped to the ground first. "I am Thebian, and this is my wife, Jetta. I assume you've talked to my brother in law, Sandor?"

"Yes, he's the one who told us about the stalker." She replied. She knelt down to the pair. "Can you please tell us what's going on? Sandor said that your village isn't right anymore. What did he mean by that?"

Jetta crossed her arms, glaring at Thundercracker before answering the question. "You two are trapped here, yes? You can't fly away from this land. That's because _she's_ keeping you here."

"She?" Thundercracker asked.

Thebian decided to start from the beginning. "Let me explain. We, as in myself, my wife and brother, and a few others from the other beast-kin tribes are a part of a coalition that travels outside of Nyx to learn more about the world. We are espers who have evolved to a point where our powers are hereditary and can be passed down to future generations. Some of us made lives in other lands, while most of us stayed here in Nyx.

"But when we returned from our latest trip to Europa about a month ago, something had changed. The tribe was worshipping an idol, Lilith, with great fervor, and didn't tolerate anyone talking bad about her. The daily hunts had stopped as the people were relying more and more on the fruit this "Lilith" provided. When I asked my parents about this, they simply said that Lilith will provide our people for the rest of our lives, and that we are all under her protection."

"So long as we follow her will." Jetta spat. "My parents were the same. You've already met them, the alphas of the tribe. They don't usually put stock into mythical beings, like every other sensible person in this land."

Thundercracker frowned as warning bells rang in his head. "Lilith isn't just some fancy statue, is she?"

Jetta looked down at her hands. "Yes. One night, when everyone was asleep, I noticed my father leaving the valley every night to go someplace. I followed him to a lake not too far from the valley, in an area that the local animals started to recently avoid. It was a garden, one of the most beautiful places I've seen, but…something lives there. I never seen it, but I heard my father talking to it once. It sounded like a woman's voice, only distorted, like a demon used it as a vocal piece. I knew then that the creature was responsible for the tribe's strange behavior, putting everyone under a spell or something. It's the cause of all this, and may be the reason you're stuck here."

Tomahawk processed this information. She didn't believe magic was involved, but Optimus had said that this planet had a lot of strange things going on that weren't cybertronian in nature. She was startled when Jetta and Thebian bowed low to her.

"We don't know who or what you are, or if you're even from this world, but we are desperate." Jetta pleaded. "Please, we beg of you. Help us."

Tomahawk frowned and looked back at Thundercracker, who had his back to them. She touched his shoulder, but he brushed her hand off. "Thundercracker…"

"Don't even think about it." He grumbled.

"Come on, Thundercracker, they need our help." She said. Thundercracker glared at her.

"I'm a Decepticon, Tomahawk! We don't help little fleshies, we conquer them!" He hissed.

"Oh really?" She sneered. "I thought the Decepticons were a force for revolution?"

Thundercracker gave her a frustrated grunt and started to walk away. Tomahawk asked Jetta and Thebian to wait for her as she jogged after him, roughly grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to look at her.

"You want to be that way? Fine, act like being a Decepticon matters here. I'm sure the giant man-eating monsters are trembling in fear at your name!" Tomahawk said. "But we don't have time for your slag. If I'm right, I think we might find out who shot us down and who's trying to kill us!"

Thundercracker stared at her for a short moment before asking, "You have a plan?"

"Maybe."

"Am I going to like it?"

"Nope."

Thundercracker stared at her again before he sighed and nodded. Tomahawk smiled and looked back at Jetta and Thebian. "We'll help you."

XXXXXXX

By morning, Tomahawk and Thundercracker had generated their holoforms back in their rooms where they stayed the previous night. They were the decoys while their real bodies were on the move, getting as close to the village without being seen.

The plan was simple-while the cybertronians lured Brendan and Azelea to someplace secluded, Thebian and Jetta would abduct them and take them far from the village for interrogation. They needed to know what to expect before they went charging into this "secret garden" without knowing what resided there. It was a risky plan, seeing as they still had no idea how the alphas got the stalker in the first place, but it was their best shot.

As the sun rose over the valley, while everyone was still asleep, Brendan and Azelea came to their room, greeting them with bright, happy smiles. Tomahawk could now see how fake those smiles were; she could see they were forced and their eyes were slightly glazed over, as if they were moving in a trance. Something was definitely up with them.

"Good morning you two," Azelea said kindly. "How was your night? I trust you both slept well?"

"Yes, it was very…peaceful." Thundercracker frowned.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, but we really need to be going now." Tomahawk said. She looked up at the second floor and saw Thebian and Jetta climbing in through the upper window. "We need to see to the repairs of our planes."

Something flashed in Brendan and Azelea's eyes, and their expressions seemed a bit more feral. Brendan cleared his throat. "Won't you stay for breakfast? It may take a while to travel back to your planes this early in the morning. And very dangerous."

"Yes, you never know what might be prowling around out there." Azelea said.

"You mean like that stalker you sent after us?" Thundercracker blurted out. As their surprised looks, he grinned. "Yeah, we know all about that, you lying pieces of slag!"

Jetta and Thebian pounced on the couple, wrestling them to the ground. Brendan gave a very wolf-like growl and struggled against Jetta's hold, but she placed a purple flower under his nose, with Thebian doing the same with Azelea. Almost immediately they began to feel drowsy, and they stopped struggling, even reverting back to their human forms. Once she was sure her parents were out cold, Jetta nodded to the bots. Phase 1 was complete.

XXXXXX

Around 20 minutes later, Brendan and Azelea woke up tied to a tree a few miles outside the valley. Their arms and legs were tied in a fashion where they couldn't get any leverage to use their strength to break free. Thebian, Jetta, Sandor, Tomahawk and Thundercracker stood around the tree.

"W-what happened?" Brendan groaned. "What is this?"

"Hello father, mother." Jetta said coolly. Her parents blinked at her, looking at their children, and the bots, with more animated looks than earlier.

"Jetta, what's going on here?" Azelea asked, very confused. She struggled to break her bonds, but couldn't break free. "Why are we tied up?"

"You know exactly what's going on, mother!" Sandor said firmly. "You and the other villagers turned against us. You sent hunters to kill me and Jetta."

"Why would we do such a thing? You three left Nyx for Europa a week ago." Brendan said, puzzled. "As a matter of fact, what are you doing back so early? Did something happen?"

Tomahawk, Thundercracker and their rebel allies were now the ones very confused. Brendan and Azelea looked like they just woke up from a bad dream, and seemed to have completely forgotten what happened over the last few hours. Thebian sniffed the air, and found that they weren't lying from their scents or heartbeats. They weren't faking it, they really had no idea what was going on.

"Brendan, Azelea, we've been gone for a year." He told them. "How could you forget that?"

"I…don't know." Brendan winced as a dull ache rang through his head. "My thoughts are all jumbled."

Thebian narrowed his eyes and knelt down in front of his in-laws. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"I think we were doing some late night hunting," Azelea said slowly, trying really hard to search her memory. "Then we stumbled upon this grove, with a beautiful tree. We decided to check it out, since we've been through every inch of this forest, and had never once seen it before."

"Yes…yes, I recall taking note of all the fruit there. It tasted so wonderful, even better than the food we grow in the village. Then there was this loud hissing and we were assaulted by this large creature…I don't remember what it looked like, but it was powerful. After that…" Brendan trailed off.

"Nothing." Thundercracker's unease grew with this information. He had a good idea what the monster they spoke about was, but he needed to be sure. "Tomahawk, we're leaving."

"Already?" Tomahawk said, caught off guard by his sudden eagerness. "What's the rush?"

"Just hurry up and transform." He snapped and looked at Jetta. "Tell us where the grove is. We'll be taking it from here."

"But wasn't the plan was for us to fight the creature in the glade?" Jetta asked.

"Trust me, this isn't a fight you want to get involved in." Thundercracker said and left it at that.

XXXXXX

The grove Jetta spoke of was just a few miles from the valley, it was a decent walking distance but for a tribe of highly athletic lycanthropic espers, it was nothing. Tomahawk and Thundercracker arrived at the place in their alt modes and landed near the entrance to the glade, which was a large tunnel that was low enough to force them to crawl through (a hassle given their alt mode kibble). When they reached the other side, they were greeted with a majestic sight.

The simplest way to describe the grove would be an oasis. The plants, the trees, the water, even the soil look lush and fertile, with the sun shining down on it in such a way that made the entire place glow. A river cut through the little collection of trees, runoff from the waterfall on the other side of the oasis that reached about two miles high. On the rocky ledges near the top were a flock of Griffons, hybrid creatures native to Nyx and some parts of Europa, with lupine Lobo beasts hiding in the forest, and insectoid Vetala buzzing around with large, iridescent wings that looked like the flowers they drank nectar from.

"Wow," Tomahawk said. "This place looks…amazing!"

"Don't fall in love with it," Thundercracker said. "This place is probably going to be set on fire anyway."

Tomahawk glared at him and cocked her gun. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

They traveled deeper into the grove, entering the small forest and stepping over mushrooms almost as big as their feet. Thundercracker grumbled and complained about getting dirt and other "filthy" organic mush in his actuators, but Tomahawk paid the grumpy Seeker no mind. She was just awestruck at how alive this place felt. Like everything from the grass to the largest animals were charged with energy and thriving off it.

When they reached the glade at the heart of the forest, they saw a large tree. It reached almost 30 feet into the air, its treetops blocking what would've been a large hole in the forest canopy. It wouldn't have been that remarkable if the tree didn't look like it was made of different minerals. Its branches were made of a clear, prismatic crystal, its leaves were like emeralds, the trunk made of black onyx, and the fruit hanging on the branches looked like apples made of rubies. Thundercracker and Tomahawk blinked at the rather implausible sight.

"Is that tree, really made of jewels?" Thundercracker asked.

"It would appear so." Tomahawk said. "But I'm more concerned about the fruit. The villagers didn't start acting strange until they are it but…how the hell did they eat jeweled fruit?"

"Maybe the pain of their teeth breaking was what drove them mad." The Seeker snorted. Tomahawk hit his shoulder. "Say what you want, that joke was totally worth it."

Tomahawk sighed. "You're impossible."

They walked closer to the tree, and suddenly it felt as if the entire grove had stopped its activity. The lone Autobot and Decepticon kept their guard up as they studied the strange tree, which felt like it was emitting a kind of invisible magnetic aura, like a charged up power generator.

"There's no way this tree is natural. But who made it?" Tomahawk eyed one of the fruit, seeing it glint in the dim sunlight. It did look rather appetizing from this angle. Deciding to act on her curiosity, she reached for the fruit. "I wonder what it would taste like to a Cybertronian…"

The second her fingertips touched the fruit, a loud hiss cut the serenity of the place, putting everything to a screeching halt. Tomahawk jumped back as a long, ivory white tail made of smooth marble nearly impaled her. She and Thundercracker readied their weapons as something spoke from within the confines of the jeweled tree.

"Who dares touch the forbidden fruit?" A silky smooth voice hissed, and the glass branches jingled as the tail slithered back into its confines. Something was moving up there.

"Depends on who's asking." Tomahawk replied.

"I know about you, invaders. My Queen has spoken of your kind, how you machines burn everything you touch. This grove, its wildlife, those humans, all of Nyx belongs to me!" The jingling of the branches became more agitated. "I shall kill you in the name of Jubileus!"

Thundercracker groaned. "Oh no."

"What?" Tomahawk asked, keeping her gaze on the tree.

"I know what we're dealing with." He said and threw a rock at the branches. If you're going to kill us for your so-called queen, then how about you show your face first before talking slag!"

So eager o die," The voice laughed. "Very well, I shall deliver your soulless husks to Jubileus myself!"

A giant creature fell from the branches and landed on the ground, whipping her long tail at the Cybertronians. Tomahawk and Thundercracker jumped apart as the long appendage slammed into the ground hard enough to leave a trench in the dirt. It retracted its tail and turned to face the two bots.

It, she, had the form of a pale skinned female above the waist-enticing to the human eye with an ample form, long arms and blood red nails. But below her waistline was a heavily muscled snake tail with white scales made of ivory. Her face was perfectly sculpted, one of beauty with thin, ruby red eyes that looked like the actual jewel and red lips. Her long black hair looked like it was spun from onyx and contrasted her marble skin.

"A dolem?" Tomahawk gasped. Prime had informed her of those aliens who came dangerously close to killing Team Prime last year. She didn't think she'd see one so soon, or that they looked so…outlandish.

"It would be one of your freaks, wouldn't it?" Thundercracker sniffed. "I thought we were done with you bozos after torching your precious Cardinals."

"The death of the Cardinals is hardly a low to our crusade." Lilith said, swaying her upper body back and forth like a cobra. "Our mission remains the same, to turn this chaotic universe into a paradise, just like the one you see here. Unlike you Cybertronians, who burn everything you touch. I try to create a paradise on Nyx, unite the espers of this land under my rule, but here you come intruding upon my territory."

"Intruding? You zapped us and dragged us down here! You're the one at fault here!" Tomahawk yelled.

"I did no such thing, but it would seem Gaia continues to refute our efforts even after all these centuries." Lilith coiled her body around herself. "No matter, I will rectify this affront myself!"

She used her tail like a spring, shooting forward at Tomahawk like a bullet. The Autobot jumped aside and swung her arm blades at Lilith's unprotected side, but her weapon only chipped off a small piece of the dolem's stony skin. Lilith swung her tail and hit her in the chest, sending her flying into a tree, uprooting it and crashing to the ground. Thundercracker fired his laser cannons at her, but she used her thick tail as a shield to protect herself.

"You used those freaky fruits to control those humans!" He told her. "Because you were too weird to get any friends of your own!"

"I grew this tree from the quintessence of the planet itself. The fruit you debase so heinously are Mother Gaia's gifts to her children. Gifts of knowledge of the true gods, and of the everlasting life they will get from our rule. I am merely distributing these gifts to the beast-kin." Lilith said. "In time they will see our way of thinking, and then they will become all knowing and all powerful like us!"

"Translation: the tree has mind controlling fruit that enslave fleshies to your will." Thundercracker grunted as Lilith wrapped her tail around his arm and threw him around. "Have some courtesy to not pin your evil scheme on someone else."

He ducked under a swipe from her tail and transformed to jet mode. "But thanks for revealing your weak point."

He hovered in the air and spun to face the tree, firing two missiles from his ports. Lilith gave a deafening screech as the projectiles hit the trunk of the tree. The entire artificial construct shook from the explosive impact, branches were shattered like glass, red fruit thrown about, and the trunk itself now sported two holes in its ebony surface. However, it still stood strong. That didn't quell Lilith's anger though.

"You filthy godless savage!" She roared and lunged at Thundercracker. "Those fruits would've given the people of this land a new life. Knowledge, immortality, power! I was offering them salvation from the dangers of this land!

Tomahawk rammed into Lilith from the side and brought her to the ground. Lilith punched her in the face and pinned her to the ground. Thundercracker switched forms and jumped on her back, stabbing his bayonet into her ribs, but she wrapped her tail around his waist and cracked him like a whip against the ground multiple times before slamming him into a tree. Tomahawk jumped back and transformed to her alt mode, barely able to get any lift with the lack of rotor space.

"The people here were doing fine before you came here!" She yelled and fired multiple rockets into Lilith's back.

The dolem spun around, her jaw unhinging like a snake's to reveal her long, needle sharp fangs. She risked taking another rocket to the shoulder as she lunged at Tomahawk, flanking her and biting into her tail rotor. Using her tail as leverage, Lilith swung Tomahawk around and threw her into a tree. Bark and leaves flew everywhere as the transformed Autobot spiraled out of control, her rotors cutting apart trees and digging gouges into the soft dirt like blades. She was forced to switch back to robot mode, but as soon as she did, Lilith appeared and wrapped her body around Tomahawk. Like an anaconda, Lilith was sure to restrain the femme's arms as she began constricting her prey.

"You machines have caused my kind enough pain already." Lilith hissed in Tomahawk's pained face as she slowly crushed her. Metal groaned as the stress put on Tomahawk's joints and servo-actuators became too much. "You're no Optimus Prime or Megatron, but two less of your kind in the universe is a godsend."

Tomahawk could only grunt as she tried to struggle out of Lilith's hold. Anacondas were known for using their body mass and thick muscles to constrict and kill their prey through suffocation alone. Lilith's body was made of stone and various minerals, which only made trying to get free near impossible. And the increasing pressure on her body threatened to break her arms and damage her torso to the point of possible crushing her Spark core. This wasn't good at all.

"What made you think that you could hurt me? My form is made of stone, hard and unbreakable. But your cold, lifeless shell is bendable, easy to shatter. You can be bent and shaped like clay. Funny how useless you are when you lose your fancy weapons." Lilith taunted as she glared into Tomahawk's face. She grabbed the Autobot's head and forced her to look right into her eyes. "Now then, any last words before I turn you into a steel lightning rod?"

"Y-yeah," Tomahawk grunted. She gave Lilith a taunting grin. "Heads up."

Lilith looked at her in confusion, but Tomahawk's words became clear when a blade was stabbed through the back of her head and emerged through her mouth. Lilith gargled and gagged, looking back to see Thundercracker shoving his bayonet into her head. He smirked and raised his other bayonet, pulling his right one out and slashing her across her neck. Sharp metal dug into thick stone, but Thundercracker put a lot of strength into his swing, managing to sever Lilith's head from her shoulders. And just for good measure, he blew her head apart with a few laser blasts. You can never be too careful with these folks.

Tomahawk was released from the dead dolem's tail and fell to the ground. As Lilith's corpse fell to the side, Tomahawk was pleasantly surprised to have Thundercracker help her up, though he tried to play it off.

"I thought you'd never stick your neck out for an Autobot?" She grinned.

"I'm not too good to acknowledge the help of a fellow flyer. Nothing more, nothing less." He crossed his arms. "Don't get used to it."

They heard something cracking and saw the jeweled tree Lilith grew begin to grow fractures along its faceted surface. The fruit began to pop into tiny dust sparkles, the branches fell to the ground and shatter into millions of little pieces, and the trunk itself started losing chunks. Tomahawk and Thundercracker looked at each other before pointing their weapons at the tree and firing at it. The tree didn't last a second against their assault and was blown apart, turning into a fine, sparkling powder that was scattered to the winds. It was a perfect way to end the day after almost getting killed for the thousandth time.

XXXXXX

Tomahawk wasn't one to get flustered easily, but having the entire wolf tribe bowing to her and Thundercracker was a bit embarrassing. It was rare to have organics actually showing gratitude to you after having most of the galaxy calling for your head just for being mechanical. Thundercracker just soaked up their praise like a sponge, sporting a stupid grin on his face.

"We can't thank you enough for setting out people free from that monster." Brendan said, smiling up at the bots. If you hadn't come when you did…"

"I'm just doing my job, sir." Tomahawk said. She gave Jetta, who was sitting on her shoulder, a wink. "If Jetta and her family hadn't helped us out when we did, we'd be scrap in the forest right now."

"And I'm glad I took the risk." Jetta smiled.

"Well, I for one, am going to be happy to finally be free of this hell hole. Time to return to my not so wonderful home. Skywarp is going to be bitching like no tomorrow now." Thundercracker sighed. He then saw Tomahawk giving him a look. "What?"

"You're not really going back to Megatron? Not after saving lives today."

"I'm not a traitor to my kind, Tomahawk, and I'm certainly not going to take a gamble with Megatron and the DJD." He replied, frowning. "Though it did feel good to fight with you again."

Tomahawk smiled at that, then asked another concerning question. "You're not going to tell Megatron about this, are you?"

He snorted rudely. "Please, just operating in Nyx for a day was enough for him to call it quits. And I'm certainly not gonna tell him that I saved a bunch of fleshies. Later, Hawk."

Thundercracker gave them a lazy wave and transformed to his jet mode, shooting into the sky and quickly becoming a speck in the distance, away from the valley and the cheering humans. Tomahawk smiled at her former comrade. He wasn't fooling anyone with that nonchalant attitude.

"Your friend is a strange one." Jetta commented.

"He's not my friend," Tomahawk said, still smiling. "He's just some stupid flyboy who thinks he's cool. Too bad he's a bad actor."

Despite her words, she was glad that being a Decepticon hadn't changed her friend too much over the long, arduous millennia. Looks like war didn't change everyone like she thought.

* * *

 **That ends another adventure today. Up next, the children go on a Minicon hunt and run into some old, and new, friends. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	24. Fortress

Chapter 24-Fortress

The Air Defense Team flew over the vast wilderness of Delpoi's eastern plains during one of their bi-weekly fly-bys, in which they would sneak out of the Ark and tour the country for as long as possible before any of the Autobots knew they were gone. As fun as it was hanging out under the same roof as Optimus Prime and playing games with the kids, it got a little suffocating being cooped up inside. Prowl's little martial Minicon law also got old quickly, and it was fun riling up the stoic tactician.

Then things got a little weird when they were passing over an abandoned town. Sonar was the first to detect something-a nearby signal. Multiple signals in fact.

"Hey, boss?"

"Yeah?" Runway hummed.

"I'm getting something strange here." Sonar said.

"Did you find another group of bats, again?" Jetstorm asked. "Because I swear to all that's holy, if you lead us into another swarm of those flying rodents…"

"No, this is different." Sonar replied. "I think I'm detecting biosignals. Minicon biosignals."

That caught Runway's attention. "You mean stasis panels?"

"No, I mean actual Cybertronian biosignals. Alive and active, north by northwest."

If Runway was in his robot mode, and if he had a mouth, he would be grinning. "Boys, I think we just hit paydirt! Just our luck to find our missing comrades where many others have failed! Formation B gentlemen, we're going to greet our newly awakened friends in style!"

"Huzzah!"

XXXXXXX

Arcbeetle-Dash, or Arc-Dash to his friends, was a mech who was a warrior in mind and body. He knew how to blast his way out of a situation and had the smarts to escape from those savage Decepticons when in a jam. But being stuck in an alien world with no ship, no energon, and with just four other Minicons as his companions was something that made the situation hopeless even by his standards. And he wasn't a bot who used the H-word often.

Arcbeetle and his friends, the Land Military Team, were hiding out in an abandoned meat factory on the outskirts of some city whose name he was still trying to pronounce. Having awakened from his stasis panel prematurely (by some unnatural process that shorted out his panel's activation system), he was genuinely lost and a bit afraid until he ran into the LM team and their "leader", a femme he called the "pink princess". It was nice to have help from some fellow Minicons, but it was still a bad situation, with no way to contact their friends, or seen if their crew members were even alive. Arcbeetle didn't like admitting his fear, but he had to admit that things were looking pretty scary right now.

"This is unbelievable!" Shot (Armada Wreckage) grumbled. He was a bulky green Minicon with large grey arms that sported arm-mounted pulse cannons. "We should be out there looking for our friends, not screwing around here playing Ches!"

"It's Chess, Shot. The word has two Ss." Crack (Armada Knock-Out), a brown Minicon with a plasma cannon on his shoulder, said. He moved his pawn forward and leaned back. "Your move, Bomb."

"Yeah, yeah, hold your gyros. I'm new at this." Bomb (Armada Bonecrusher) grunted. He was a black and red mech with a targeting lens of his left eye and with a variable missile launcher as a right arm. "It's not easy playing with one arm."

Crack waved him off. "Excuses, excuses."

"Would you morons focus! I'm sick of waiting here and doing nothing!" Shot yelled. "We should-"

"We should do what, Shot?" Arcbeetle said as he entered the processing room. "Walk a thousand miles to the nearest energon mine, which could be in any location?"

The sun glinted off Arcbeetle's dark crimson armor, his ivory horn extension also shining from the dim light coming through the window. He was only slightly taller than the LM team, and had two point spikes on his forehead and chest, horns from his beast mode, a Cybertronian insect that looked similar to the terran Hercules beetle. Though unspoken, Arcbeetle was the unofficial leader in the Pink Princess's absence, mostly because he was actually more level-headed than the LM team.

"It's better than sitting here, twiddling our thumbs while your _friend_ ," Shot said the word with a surprising amount of scorn. "Suddenly remembers to visit us again."

"Shot, unless you have a solid plan that doesn't involve us blindly wandering the land until a human spots us in broad daylight, kindly shut up please." Arcbeetle said. He wasn't afraid of Shot's aggressive grandstanding. In fact, he was getting tired of it. "Look, I know you're frustrated with our circumstances, but we just need to hang on a little bit longer until she comes back with some energon. I'll ask her what's up with our housing situation."

"You better. I'm sick of waking up to those little black vermin crawling all over me." Shot growled.

Arcbeetle shook his head and was about to reply when he heard glass shatter and three airborne forms crashed through the hole ridden roof. Almost immediately, the LM team jumped up, weapons ready to fire on the intruders, but Arcbeetle waved them down. He knew who they were.

Runway, Jetstorm and Sonar transformed in unison and landed on the ground in a fancy pose, the sunlight glinting off their silver armor like they were some heroes from one of Gina's anime. Runway stepped forward and saluted them. "Greetings friends and comrades! We've come to liberate you from this unholy dump you call a home!"

Shot, Crack and bomb glanced at each other before charging up their weapons at the AD team just for spite. Runway stammered and jumped back, but Arcbeetle got between them.

"Would you three morons quit it?" He sighed. Arcbeetle gave the AD team a wave. "It's good to see you three alive and well, Runway. We thought we'd be spending the rest of our days out here in the wild."

"You can thank Sonar here. He detected you life signals just as we were passing over the town." Jetstorm said. "We totally would've missed you otherwise."

"Please tell me you're gonna take us back to a place with some fragging energon." Bomb pleaded. They were surviving off of sheer fortitude and rations mined from small nearby deposits and Bomb wanted nothing more than to actually sit back and open a can of Engex to drink his worries away.

"That and more. Now that we've finally found you, we can take you all back to the Ark!" Runway said enthusiastically.

"Thank Primus!" Shot hollered and marched up to them. "Hurry up and call the Autobots before something bad happens!"

"Whoa, whoa, we can't leave yet." Arcbeetle stopped them. Crack gave him a look.

"Uh, yeah, we can. Just call for a ground bridge and we're in paradise."

Arcbeetle sighed. "No, I mean we can't leave without getting Princess!"

"Princess?" The Air Defense Team echoed, confused.

"Our fearless leader," Shot growled. "Who left us out here to starve with no way of calling for help!"

"Don't start, Shot, she's not like that." Suddenly his communicator beeped. "See? That's her now." He said smugly, and switched it on. "Hey, D-"

" _Arcbeetle, you need to go, now_!" The femme on the other line sounded panicked, which was rare enough to gain the other's attention.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down. What's wrong?" He asked.

" _You've got company coming! The kind you don't want knocking at your door_." She said. " _Now you guys need to leave ASAP before they reach the factory!"_

"Wha-" The call was cut short and Arcbeetle gave his friends a troubled glance. "Yeah, I think we better listen to the lady."

"Uh, Arcbeetle," Runway said, now sounding a bit wary. He recognized that voice. "Was that D-"

There was a loud bang, and suddenly a large section of the wall was blasted open, as well as parts of the roof that suddenly went up in flames. Everyone took cover to avoid the flaming debris raining down on them, but they also took notice of the large olive green missile tank rolling through the hole it made. The Decepti-brand on its side was enough to bring dread as the tank transformed and Demolishor stomped over to them, his pulse cannons trained on the Air Defense team.

"Where do you think you're going?" Demolishor grinned.

XXXXXX

Gina grunted in annoyance as she stared at her computer screen. She spent almost an hour using the personal link-up with Teletran-1 on her laptop to detect any stasis panel signals, but found nothing. It was starting to grate on her nerves at the lack of any action in that field, seeing as there were still a fair amount of Minicon refugees still missing. Optimus and Sparkplug were getting worried as well, but things were a little hectic and their attention was often required elsewhere. The lack of updates from the Ark's sensory array was frustrating.

"This is getting on my nerves." Gina huffed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She still wore her glasses, even though she didn't need them anymore thanks to her enhanced eyesight. It was one of the more subtle changes she was undergoing thanks to her Inhuman activation.

Aside from her obvious powers, there were more subtle changes in her body. Gina felt no different from when she was human, but she noticed some changes physical wise-she was now slightly taller than Darren and Annie, and her muscle mass had increased slightly, sometimes causing her biceps to strain against her sleeves when she flexed them too much (getting new shirts for her husband and daughter drove Julia up the wall), and she was able to lift a small car a few inches off the ground, and if she really put some back into it, hurl a car as well. She rarely got tired, and she felt more energized than ever. Even just sitting in her chair was getting her antsy.

"Gina, are you doing all right?" Sureshock asked as she and Sara entered the workshop. They just came back from helping the Harkins' matriarch with the groceries (Julia had taken a strong liking to the Minicon and android, treating them like they were family).

"I'm fine, Sureshock, it's just…ugh!" Gina slammed her head on the table and groaned.

"Would you like a massage to ease your pain, Gina?" Sara suggested, placing her hands on Gina's firm shoulders.

"That's not necessary, Sara-ooh," Gina hummed as Sara's dainty hands worked out the stress in her shoulder blades and leaned back with a sighed. "Oh yeah, that feels good."

Sureshock rolled her eyes. Gina, are you still looking for those Minicons?"

Hmm? Oh, yeah, I've been monitoring Teletran for a while now," She moaned as Sara massaged a soft spot on her back. "But no panels have activated, and I've hit a dead end in finding any clues in ancient historical texts."

"Those panels should've activated by now," Sureshock said. "Now that I think about it, we haven't had a proper panel activation since-"

"The planetary alignment and awakening of the Cardinals." Sara said, not pausing in her massage.

Yeah, that." Gina groaned. "I ran it by Prowl and he said that it's a possibility that the energy wave released from the poles had something to do with it, but who knows anymore? All I can say is that we're out of luck unless someone is willing to send us a message or something."

An email alert popped up on her laptop. Sureshock opened it for Gina, who was stuck in Nirvana at this point, and read the message. A second later, she let out a startled gasp.

"By the Allspark, Gina, we need to contact the Autobots now!"

XXXXXXX

It was four pictures in all that were sent to Gina, and all of them showed less than promising. One was of Demolishor holding a cage with a the Air Defense team inside. The other two were of a large, custom built bunker that looked like it was built from raw materials from a scrapyard. The last was of the bunker's location, a deep canyon located in some unknown part of the world, which didn't help identify where this was taking place at all.

"Is this image genuine, Teletran-1?" Optimus asked the computer.

" **Affirmative. No sign of digital alterations or doctoring.** " Teletran-1 confirmed.

Optimus, Prowl and Sparkplug were studying the four images to see what they meant and who sent them. Of course, they had no idea since they couldn't trace them back to who sent them to Gina in the first place, but right now their attention was focused on figuring out how to deal with this situation.

"Sparkplug, what were they doing out of the ship? There was a set curfew for all Minicons." Prowl asked. Sparkplug frowned and crossed his arms.

"I don't recall agreeing to that curfew, Prowl, and I don't know how they got out myself. You know how antsy they get when cooped up indoors too long." He said.

"Let's focus on the situation at hand, you two. Megatron is now in possession of the omni-saber, and that spells trouble for us and them." Optimus said. He took a closer look at the picutre "That structure looks like the Decepticon's Nebrask bunker."

"It's probably a local energon mining facility. That place looks large enough to hold a driller or two to dig into the rock for any deposits." Prowl deduced and looked at Optimus. "Prime, they could be mining Ore-13 for all we know."

"I doubt Megatron would have that lying around without some hidden defenses. A rescue operation would be out of the question. This is bad." Optimus said grimly.

"With all due respect Optimus, now's not the time to be playing it safe." Sparkplug glared at the Autobot leader. "Together, the Air Defense team could make Megatron almost strong enough to rival his sting from Ore-13. A full-scale assault isn't the way to go…but a covert operation-just me and a handful of other Minicons-might have a shot."

Optimus glanced at Prowl, who didn't look very happy with the plan. It was a logical way to go about this, but there were too many unknown factors to consider to make it a stable strategy.

"No, it's too risky, the Decepticons could capture you and turn you all against us." Optimus gave Sparkplug an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but your plan is denied."

XXXXXX

Megatron watched with glee as Knockout worked his magic on the Air Defense team, using his "reeducation" techniques on the Minicons to recondition them into their willing servants.

It was a process familiar to him. Back on Cybertron, Megatron led raiding parties on the two moons that housed the Minicons, and he conditioned Shockwave to fashion a slave program that would "teach" these Minicons who didn't join them willingly, retooling them via inhibitors built into their neural nets to suppress their higher functions and made them susceptible to Decepticon commands. What Knockout was installing now was sadly nowhere near the same quality as Shockwave's technology, and he had to build his from scratch on top of that. While the medic had assured him that the implants would work, he was still unsure if they would be as good as the real thing. For his sake, Megatron scowled, it had better work, or he would be testing out an upgraded version on himself!

This little installation they had constructed was just a minor mining facility built on top of an ore-13 vein. It was painted the same color as the rocks around them for camouflage, and invisible sensors masked them from Autobot sensor arrays and scanning equipment. It wasn't state of the art by any means, but it did the trick long enough for them to get the energon uninterrupted.

"Lord Megatron," Demolishor walked into the room and saluted. "You wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes, Demolishor," Megatron smiled at the loyal soldier. "I wanted to commend you for capturing that Minicon. It's not every day that one of my mechs actually does something right for a change."

"Thank you, sir. I was just doing my part for the Decepticon cause." Demolishor said humbly. Though his hardened face was stoic, he was inwardly doing a victory dance at being acknowledged by his leader.

"Your valor is appreciated, but don't let it blind you to our enemies. Always be on guard. "Megatron warned him. "There was another Decepticon like you, Lugnut. He was a true Decepticon warrior, but his patriotism blinded him and he was killed by the lowest of beings."

"I heard from Thundercracker that he was killed by a human," Demolishor was hesitant to bring up a rather sore topic for Megatron. "Is that true, sir?"

"That is very true. Lugnut was caught off guard by one of Prime's pet humans, a lucky shot if anything. I'd advise against attempting to get revenge," He said. "These humans are tricky and can be dangerous if you don't end them quickly."

"I'll keep that in mind, sir."

"See that you do. As for your reward, you'll have the next Minicon that activates."

Demolishor smiled and slammed his large fist to his chest. "Thank you very much, Lord Megatron. You honor me with you praise."

Continue the good work and you may get a front row seat," Megatron glanced back to the mining operation. "To the death of Optimus Prime and this accursed world!"

XXXXXX

A few hours after Optimus gave his verdict, Sparkplug, Jolt, Undertone and Peppercat stood under a stone archway with Darren, Annie and Gina, all dressed in their pilot suits and their talos parked under the rock formation. Despite Optimus's warnings, Sparkplug wasn't willing to wait here while Megatron abused the Air Defense Team's power. So he did what he planned to do-round up a few like-minded Minicons and as a bonus, requested the children to help them. As sad as it was, he couldn't trust the Autobots to do what had to be done at this point in time.

"So we clear?" Sparkplug asked, after going over the plan with them. "Whatever happens, Darren, do not alert the Autobots."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You want this to be an inside job." Darren said, but frowned. "But Sparkplug, this is risky. If you screw up, we'll all be in trouble, and not just with Optimus."

"I know, but there's no going back here. I'm fed up with Optimus telling us what we can and can't do. They're my people, so it's my responsibility." He said. "But if anyone wants out, I understand."

Darren smiled and put his hand in, along with the girls, Jolt, Undertone and even Sara. Sparkplug smiled and placed his hand in the pile as a show of unity-until Peppercat shocked them with her fingers upon joining in.

"Take this," Jolt handed Gina a small radio. "If we're not out in thirty minutes, activate this."

"Got it." Gina said and nodded to Sara. "Sara, lead them in."

"Affirmative." Sara stepped forward and took point, climbing down the slope into the canyon. Sparkplug took a deep breath and made sure his blaster was fully charged.

"Okay, wish us luck. Because we're going to need every shred!" sparkplug transformed along with the other Minicons. "Roll out, Minicons!"

XXXXXXX

When she got close to the bunker, Sara had performed some wire frame scans of the place and found a small opening where they could sneak into the ground level, near the storage containers. It was a cooling vent, one that lead to where the Cons stored waste materials for incineration.

"Primus, we're going in there?" Jolt groaned. He jumped back as a spout of flames shot at them.

"It's the only secure entry we can take." Sara said and waited for the flames to die down before jumping in. "Come on."

She led the group through the vents and exited into the waste disposal section. They ran out of the chamber and made their way out of the chamber and towards where the mining equipment was stored. In their alt modes, they drove past Knockout and into the storage area where energon cubes were placed after mining.

"Where to, nya?" Peppercat asked.

"We need to figure out where they're keeping Runway and his team." Sparkplug said. "Let's split up and-"

"Wait, someone's coming!" Jolt whispered. Sparkplug cursed.

"Now?"

Skyquake stomped down the stairs and into the room, his gold plated face etched in its usual scowl. He hated taking orders from hardasses like Demolishor, whose only real use was the heavy fire power his tank mode provided. Otherwise, that guy was a completely ineffectual fighter who couldn't last three seconds against the Autobots' yellow scout. He went to check on the inventory in the storage area when he caught sight of the four Minicons on the floor.

"This must be my lucky day." Skyquake charged at the Minicons, reaching down to snatch them up, but Undertone leapt at him, stabbing his swords into his hand while Sara jumped up to his face and slashed at him with her proton blades. Skyquake hissed in pain and stumbled back.

"Run! We will hold him off!" Sara said.

"Hold me off?" Skyquake bellowed. He swung his fist at Sara, who flipped over his arm, but was unable to dodge his backhand strike that hit her into the wall. She crashed into a crate before falling to the ground. "Like you puny weaklings can hurt me!"

Undertone ran up Skyquake's back and flipped over his head, stabbing his sword into the Seeker's left eye. Skyquake reeled back in pain as the sharp blade dug into his optic cavity and tripped over a pipe, falling onto his back.

"We're clear, let's move!" Sparkplug said. He, Jolt and Peppercat transformed and sped out of the room. Undertone helped Sara to her feet and they followed their friends towards the doorway.

"Gah! No one hurts me and lives to tell the tale!" Skyquake snarled. He took out his artillery cannon and fired nearly a hundred rounds per minute at the fleeing Minicons. He was so focused on blasting them apart that he failed to see that he was slowly trailing the bullets towards the support beam until it was too late. The bullets tore through the support structure and it fell over, toppling the generator sitting on top of it and everything collapsed upon Skyquake, Sara and Undertone.

XXXXXX

"Annie, what's the time?"

Annie checked her watch. "Exactly five forty-seven."

"No, Annie, not the time! The Time!" Darren exclaimed. "How long have they been in there?"

"Ohh, right, yeah. Forty-two minutes."

"Give us thirty minutes', Sparkplug said, 'Then activate this'. But what the hell is it?" Darren asked as he pressed the button on the device. It wasn't the usual communicator that the Autobots would give them on missions, it looked more like a scanner, only less flashy.

"He also said not to involve the Autobots." Annie sighed. "This was a mistake, letting them go alone-and into a bloody Decepticon base of all things!"

Then the ground began to tremble and the children, hardened to any kind of battlefield surprises, were immediately on alert. Gina was the first to make to her talos, leaping (as in actually leaping) into her Athena's cockpit and magnified her optical cameras on the base.

"All right, how bad is it, Gina?" Darren asked.

"Bad." Gina frowned.

"Bad on what scale?" He asked.

"On a scale of bad to worse," Gina said, watching as Megatron stomped out of the refinery waving the omni-saber, now blackened and dark purple and emitting bolts of energy, in the air with a triumphant look on his face. "I'd say jinkies!"

XXXXXX

Peppercat crawled out of the hole she fell into to avoid the falling energon cubes. She gave a startled meow when Skyquake punched his way out of the pile of scrap and quickly ran back into the hole. He looked around and cursed when he didn't hear the driller working anymore. It was shutdown thanks for the generator falling on his head.

"Is it too much to ask to emerge victorious for once?" Skyquake grumbled. "Five Minicons just land right in my lap, an opportunity right there, and I go drop a damn generator on them!"

There was a beep from his comm and he switched it on. "Yes…okay. I'm on my way." He pulled himself out of the scrap pile and marched through the door, still cursing angrily at his misfortune.

Peppercat waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps and slowly crawled out of the crate. She switched from her beast mode and gazed up at the wreckage. She climbed up on the crates, her plug-fingers causing small shocks on contact with the metal until she made it to the top of the mess. Peppercat looked around and her ears sagged in nervousness.

"Sparkplug? Jolt, Undertone…Sara?" She called out. "Are you alright, nya?"

Peppercat didn't hear a peep, and she got worried. She looked around, wondering where they were in this mess and how she was going even find them, let along get them out. One of the metal pipes sitting against the wall fell over with a loud clang and Peppercat jumped nearly a foot in the air in shock. Then she fell off the crate towards the floor.

"Nyaaaaa!"

Peppercat curled up into a ball and waited for her body to hit the ground, but instead of smashing against the cold, hard floor, she felt herself get caught by something soft. She didn't open her eyes until she heard her savior speak.

"Are you okay?"

Peppercat opened her large, green eyes and found herself staring into the equally green visor of another Minicon. One she hadn't seen before. A dark red mech that looked like he could hold his own in a close combat fight with those horns sticking from his chest, forehead and knees. Not to mention his voice made her swoon a bit.

"H-hello," Peppercat greeted the newcomer with shy little wave, her tail swaying under her. "Who are you, nya?"

"Arcbeetle-Dash, but my friends call my Arcbeetle." He said with a nod. "I'm guessing you're here for the same reason as I am?"

"Yes, nya!"

"Well, we better go find your friends before Skyquake comes back round 2." Arcbeetle set Peppercat on her feet (much to her disappointment) and looked at the huge mess before them. "This is going to take a while."

XXXXXX

"This was a stupid idea!" Annie grumbled. "We never should've let them go!"

Darren didn't say anything as he kept his view on Megatron. He, along with Demolishor and Skyquake left the bunker in their alt modes to travel to some location unknown to them. Darren wasn't concerned with that, only that he couldn't see Sparkplug's group anywhere.

"I'm not seeing the others down there at all." He told the girls. Gina sighed and cracker her knuckles.

"Looks like we're going in." She leaned back in her seat. "You two suit-up and-"

"Hold up, we have company." Annie pointed at the small hill near them, where three small military vehicles were driving down the slope towards them.

The three Minicons transformed in synch and marched towards the kids. They looked strong and were packing some serious hear; the lead Minicon was a brown mech with a large shoulder cannon, the green Minicon next to him had arm cannons mounted on his arms, and the black and red Minicon behind them had a long railgun in place of a left arm.

"Humans!" The brown mech yelled in a gruff tone. Gina idly thought he sounded like a drill sergeant. "You will tell us where you got that panic pager on the double!"

The children stared at them for a minute before Annie rudely blurted out, "Who the hell are you?"

"We are the Land Military Minicon team, head of the security team for the Exodus." The green one said. "I am shot, and that's Bomb, and our lead Crack. Now answer the question."

"We didn't steal it, if that's what you're thinking." Darren stepped forward. "It was given to us by Sparkplug. He and the rest of our friends went into that bunker to save some other Minicons that were captures, but they've run into some trouble."

"A Decepticon bunker? So that's where the Air Team was taken to." Bomb, the brown one, started. He looked at the bunker. After a minute, he shrugged. "If that's the case, then there's not really much we can do, is there?"

"What? But you're Minicons!" Annie said, shocked at how nonchalant these Minicons were to the situation. "Some of your friends are trapped in there! If we can call the Autobots-"

"We only came here because a friend of ours ran off. But if he and the others are stuck down there, alone, it's out of our hands." Shot shrugged his wide shoulders. "The fact is, we rejected any kind of alliance with the Autobots and Decepticons, we are our own cause. This war of theirs is not our fight."

"Not your fight?" Darren growled. Annie tried to hold him back, but he brushed her hand off his shoulder and marched up to Shot. "You don't get to say that! It's your war, a war that's been brought to my world. The Cons have hurt people to get to you, so it is your responsibility! You don't get to bury your head in the sand and say it's not your problem! It's our entire problem!"

The LM team were shocked silent by Darren's outburst. Crack scowled and walked up to the boy. "Look, kid-"

"You three aren't going in alone."

Darren paused as he heard that familiar female voice that he never thought he'd hear again. He looked over Shot's shoulder and saw a pink form do a front flip and land next to them. She was a Minicon, a two wheeler with pink armor hold a silver staff with red lines.

"D-Va?"

"Hello, Darren," D-Va smiled. "It's been a while."

XXXXXX

Arcbeetle and Peppercat spent the next few minutes helping Sara and Undertone climb out of the debris. Sparkplug was pinned under a beam and Sara had to use her laser cutter to get him out. Once she cut through the beam, she threw the pieces away for Arcbeetle to drag him out.

"This is all my fault." He lamented. "What was I thinking?"

"You were acting out of anger, letting yourself make irrational decisions based on your out of control emotions. But we all chose to go with you on our own accord." Undertone, who rarely spoke, said softly. "It was our decision, because we knew your Spark was simply in the right place."

Sparkplug smiled at him as he stood up, scratched and dented, but mostly unharmed. "You always know what to say."

Peppercat clawed through the debris, following Jolt's scent. When she saw the glint of his bright red armor, she stepped back to allow Arcbeetle to transform into his beast mode. He rushed forward and speared the large metal scraps and jerked his head to the side. His titanium hard horn threw aside large amounts of scrap nearly three times his size, and allowed Peppercat to pull Jolt out.

"Is-ngh-Jolt alright?" Sparkplug asked.

Sara checked him over. "He is unconscious from a cranial wound. He is still operational, but I believe it's prudent to get him away from danger."

Without asking Sparkplug for permission, Sara lifted Jolt onto his back and headed for the exit. Sparkplug decided to grill Arcbeetle for some information while he was at it. "Arc, how are you here? I mean, how is it that you're out of your panel?"

"You're asking the wrong mech, Sparkplug. All I can tell you is that something happened to my panel that set me free without an activation signal." Arcbeetle shrugged. "I was wandering around for weeks after I reawakened before running into the Land Military team-"

"Wonderful, they're awake too?" Sparkplug sighed. He didn't hate Shot's group, but they're hardline, go guns or go home attitude was really annoying.

"And D-Va." Arcbeetle finished.

Sparkplug, Peppercat and Undertone paused and stared at him. "D-Va?" Sparkplug asked.

"Yeah, she was the one who found me with the Land Military team. She told me she was searching for stasis panels. Stumbled upon me by chance while I was exploring the plains by the road, and together we found Crack and the others." He said. Arcbeetle blinked at hi friends' odd looks. "Um, why are you all looking at me like that?"

XXXXXX

Megatron never thought that he'd get a chance to wield the Minicons' so-called legendary weapon. A four way powerlink between him and the Air Defense team by way of the gestalt weapon, the omni-saber and Leader-1, was something that one could only dream of. The immense power transfer that occurred from such a massive powerlink made him feel absolutely invigorated. Though designed for use by a Minicon gestalt Centurion's size, it fit snug in his hand and the blade would vibrate like a tuning fork. One swipe could generate a sonic pulse that could be felt for nearly 200 miles.

"Come out and play, Prime!" Megatron laughed. "Or I'll cleave this entire state and the one next door in two!"

Standing a good distance from their leader to avoid getting caught in his tangent, Demolishor and Skyquake watched Megatron swing the sword around like he was trying to swat a fly. Skyquake made a grunt of annoyance at being forced to watch as his master partook in the powers of the Minicons. "He's really loving this, isn't he?"

"Of course he is. Lord Megatron has reached a level of power not seen in stellar cycles." Demolishor said loyally.

"And we're left in the dust." Skyquake grumbled.

"Hold your tongue! Lord Megatron does what he does for the Decepticon cause, for all of us! It's not our place to question him!"

"Which orientation film did you get that from?" Skyquake taunted. Demolishor gritted his teeth and stomped up to Skyquake.

"How dare you talk to a superior officer like-" An ion blast hit Demolishor in the chest and he fell back to the ground, a smoking scorch mark on his chest plate. Skyquake took out his rotary cannon and turned around. Optimus, Ironhide, Prowl and Jazz ran out of the ground bridge, weapons ready.

"A simple knock on the door would have sufficed, Megatron." Optimus said, charging up his ion cannon. "Did you have to go and wake up the whole neighborhood?"

Megatron stabbed the dark omni-saber into the ground and channeled its energy into the earth, culminating in a powerful shock wave that blasted outwards, blowing friend and foe off their feet. Optimus roll on his back and landed on his feet, recovering and charging at Megatron, drawing his battle axe.

XXXXXX

Sparkplug didn't know what to think. He never expected to run into D-Va again, let alone learn that she was hunting for stasis panels in secret. Just from that alone he could tell that she didn't trust the Autobots to get the job done and was doing it all herself. According to Arcbeetle, D-Va was vehemently against contacting the Autobots for anything, but she had sent out a locator pulse and a few pictures to some "old friends" of hers. Those old friends being the children she was once close to.

D-Va was a survivor of the Solomus genocide, in which the second largest village on the moon was destroyed and its people killed, presumably by Decepticons. Sparkplug would later learn that Leader-1 was from that village, and the massacre was caused by a group of rogue Autobots, not Decepticons. She let that hatred fester within her for years, acting as a spy for Leader-1 and helping him sabotage the Exodus. D-Va's fortitude didn't waver until she was ordered to kill the children, which caused her to defect from both sides and disappear into the European countryside. This event was still fresh in everyone's minds, most notably Darren and Tracer. And the incident caused by information manipulation on Prowl's part left an invisible rift between the Autobots and Minicons that was only just now being mended.

"Sara, how is our escape route working out." Sparkplug asked.

Sara blasted away at the metal door with her palm blasters, but she shook her head. "The walls are too thick, and it will take too much time to cut through it."

The Minicons jumped when the room began to shake from an explosion outside and Arcbeetle looked around worriedly. "What was that? Decepticons?"

"No," Sara said, a tiny, barely noticeable smile on her lips. "Help."

A long, pink beam saber stabbed through the door and began slicing through the metal like it was butter. It carved a large circle in the reinforced door and a hole was kicked in, revealing the white and purple form of the Athena talos.

"Gina, you made it!" Jolt cheered.

"Just in time, too." Gina said. "The Autobots are fighting Megatron's group right now and he's packing some serious firepower!"

"Then we better get out there and…" Sparkplug trailed off as the Prometheus stepped into view and lowered its hand, revealing D-Va. She jumped onto the ground and stared at her former friends. Sparkplug heard Peppercat hiss at her.

"Sparkplug, fancy meeting you here." D-Va smiled, looking as elegant as ever. "Don't give me the silent treatment, I'm already getting enough that from the kids."

"You did attempt to kill them." Sara noted. D-Va looked at Sara, studying her for a few seconds, trying to figure out who she was.

"Who are you?"

"I am Sara, third generation android and Gina Harkins' protector." Sara announced. "Though we have not met prior to today, I admit to feeling some hostility towards you for having a hand in the near termination of my charge."

"…Android?" D-Va looked to Sparkplug for conformation. "When the hell did you get an android? As a matter of fact, when did the kids learn how to pilot talos?"

"You'd know if you didn't run away like a coward, nya." Peppercat hissed.

"Don't start sister, I didn't come here for a fight." D-Va said. Arcbeetle held Peppercat back from leaping at her. "As for you, Arcbeetle…"

"Look, D-Va," Arcbeetle gulped at the narrowing of her eyes. "I know you said hang back until you and the others got there, but-"

"I'll tan your ass later." She said, making him look away in embarrassment. "But right now, we have other things to worry about."

"Yeah, like Megatron's Minicon blade!" Annie called out from the hall. "Seriously, he's done something to the Air Defense team and now they've gone crazy! We need to go help them and the Autobots."

"Come on, Sparkplug," D-Va said, walking back to the Prometheus. Sparkplug wondered what Darren was thinking about this, since he had yet to say anything. Probably nothing good. "Let's go save the Minicons that your Autobot friends left to rust."

Sparkplug scowled and glanced at Jolt and Peppercat before following the pink femme. He'll grill D-Va later on, right now Optimus and the others needed a helping hand.

XXXXXX

Optimus jumped back to avoid a quick slash from Megatron, but the energy leaking from the omni-saber left a deep gash on his chest plate. Optimus spun on his toes and swung his axe, and Megatron blocked the attack, rushing in to punch Optimus in the jaw. Optimus leaned back to allow the fist to fly past his face before he grabbed Megatron's arm and move in close. He slammed his elbow into Megatron's face and twisted his arm to force him to lose his grip on the omni-saber. The gestalt sword dropped to the ground and Optimus kicked Megatron away.

He tried to grab the omni-saber for himself, but the minute his hands wrapped around the hilt, a searing pain surge through his hands and up his arms. The sword was burning him from touch alone!

"Jetstorm, Runway, Sonar, if you can hear me-resist! Whatever Megatron has done to you can still be undone!" Optimus said. "Remember who you are, what you stand for, believed in. The power is of the three, not the one!"

Taking a gamble, Optimus channeled some of the Matrix's energy through his body and into the sword, hoping that its pure energies would give the Minicons a fighting chance. He winced as he felt the combined team resist. He alone was not enough o free them, it had to be their choice alone.

"I can't compel you, I won't try," Optimus continued. "Instead, I beg you as an equal, help us!"

"You should have finished me when you had the chance, Prime!"

Megatron rammed into Optimus, knocking him to the ground. He pulled the omni-saber from the ground and stood over Optimus.

"You've never understood power. It must be shackled, reined, broken-and then unleashed!" Megatron snarled. "Show it weakness, show it respect-show it anything other than total control and it will break you!"

Then you must've shattered into a million pieces by now!" Optimus retorted.

Megatron scowled and raised the saber to run it through Prime's Spark, but he was hit in the shoulder by an agitated particle beam that burned into his armor with immense heat. This distraction allowed Optimus to jumped to his feet and land a kick at Megatron's face.

"Optimus!" The omega talos descended on the battlefield, carrying Minicons both familiar and unfamiliar. Sparkplug jumped from Prometheus's hand and fell towards Optimus. "Heads up!"

Optimus let Sparkplug powerlink to his arm and felt that familiar surge of power rush through his body. Megatron cursed angrily and swung the omni-saber at him, but Optimus ducked under the swipe and kicked the back of his knee to bring him down.

"Lord Megatron!" Demolishor transformed to his tank mode and opened fire on the children with his pulse cannons, trying to shoot one of them out of the sky. But he didn't notice D-Va and the LM team sneaking up behind him until D-Va had jumped on the hull of his tank mode and jammed her staff into his chassis. "Hey!"

Using her staff, D-Va sent a small, but powerful EMP wave surging through his body, causing his systems to freeze up. Demolishor groaned as a wave of nausea fell over him, followed by the sporadic glitches in his weapon systems. He couldn't target, he couldn't regain control of his missile payload, and trying to roll on his treads was next to impossible. Exerting himself, Demolishor returned to robot mode, and the Land Military team unleashed a hail of surprisingly devastating weapons fire on him.

"Get some!" Shot laughed as he pelted the Con's face with multiple plasma blasts.

As for Skyquake and Knockout, they were trying to fight off both the Autobots and the childrens' talos at the same time. Particle beams and missiles pelted them from both sides and forced them into taking cover in a small gorge. As they fought off the combined forces of human and Autobot, Darren faced off against Megatron.

"That's your problem, Megatron. You don't respect the power," Darren said, gripping his control sticks tightly. "You don't respect it enough to keep it from making your reckless!"

"Silence you savage!" Megatron raised the omni-saber to strike the Prometheus down, but to his horror, the blade began to break apart. "What? No!"

The omni-saber lost its dark purple coloration, returning to its normal light blue colors of the Air Defense team. They separated and flew out of Megatron's hands, swarming around him and shooting at his face and chest.

"Let him have it, guys!" Runway said. "Show him that he's been a bad maniacal tyrant!"

"No, you're mine to command!" Megatron fired his fusion cannon, but they broke apart before the beam could destroy them. They were too fast for his slow moving beam to hit on target. "I order you to desist!"

"You can't order anyone around anymore, Megatron!" Darren said, and fired his beam rifle. The blast caught Megatron in the chest and sent him stumbling back. The agitated particles of the blast had burned a small, but deep hole in his chest that looked as painful as it felt.

"D-damn you!"

"Lord Megatron," Skyquake flew over to his leader in jet mode. "It's a lost cause. We've lost the Minicons. I believe it's time for a tactical retreat."

Megatron scowled and blew steam from his nose before transforming to his tank mode. "Decepticons, fall back! This isn't over boy!"

"I know." Darren said, watching Megatron and his team drive away back to their (half destroyed) bunker. He let out a shaky breath and leaned back in his seat. Fighting Megatron one on one without anyone watching his back? That had to be the stupidest thing he's ever done, without question.

XXXXXX

Later on, the kids were seeing off D-Va's little Minicon team in private. Though Arcbeetle elected to stay with them at the Ark, D-Va and the Land Military team refused to join Sparkplug with the Autobots.

"Are you serious? You saw how great a team we were back there!" Sparkplug exclaimed.

"Yeah, we could use that ass-kicking to fight off the Cons." Jolt said. "We…miss you, D-Va. We'll vouch for you if you come back with us."

"I'm sorry, Sparkplug, but I can't go back." D-Va said, actually looking rather remorseful at her decision. "I can't forgive the Autobots for what they've done…or allowed to happen under their noses."

"But it wasn't their fault." Gina said.

"But Prowl knew, and that makes him guilty by default, and the others by association." She replied. "We left Cybertron to escape their war and it followed us, now we have to find the rest of our kind lost on this planet. You help the Autobots scorch another world, Sparkplug. We'll look for the other Minicons."

Sparkplug scowled, but Darren placed a hand on his shoulder, walking past him to face D-Va. Her face softened as he went to speak with her; she always had a soft spot for the kids. They, like her, were victims of this terrible war by circumstance alone.

"Tracer misses you, you know." He told her. "She has Kevin and Penny now, but it would make her day if you just saw her once."

"And I miss her too, but I'm sorry. I can't go back." She insisted. Darren wondered if she was punishing herself for the role she had in almost killing them.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Shot appeared next to him and gave him a rough pat on the back that almost sent him to the ground.

"Hey, kid, sorry about earlier. Didn't mean to sound uncaring." He apologized. "You're right about one thing-it is our fight, and there are a lot of Minicons who need our help. You do your job your way, and we'll do ours. All that matters is saving those Minicons."

"That's a great plan." Darren smiled and shook Shot's hand.

After saying their goodbyes, D-Va and the LM team transformed and parted ways with the children and guardians. But just before she vanished into the wilderness, D-Va yelled back some parting words for her friends.

"Tell Tracer I miss her too!" She called back.

Annie walked up to Darren as he watched them disappear from view. "Think we'll see her again?"

"Definitely. You know how things like this go." Gina said and yawned. "Now, let's go home. I'm sure the Bots are itching to give us a good scolding."

"Wonderful." Annie groaned.

"Arcbeetle," Sparkplug turned to the insectoid Minicon. "Are you okay with staying behind? If you want to go, we won't stop you."

"That's okay, I've made my choice." Arcbeetle said. He glanced down at Peppercat, who was rubbing her head against his arm. "Besides, I've got a reason to stay now."

Sparkplug and Jolt shared a cheeky glance before laughing. "I'm sure you do!"

* * *

 **D-Va has made her first appearance in season 2 and Peppercat has found her man! I hope you all liked this chapter, and stay tuned for more Minicon action and politics in the next chapter, in which we see a schism form between the Exodus Minicons! Please enjoy and leave a review.**


	25. Fly Me to the Moon

Chapter 25-Fly Me to the Moon

A fireball fell from the sky.

This wasn't a rare occurrence; debris always fell to Terra's atmosphere every day and burned up in orbit, with the occasional meteor reaching the ground. Except, this wasn't a piece of space debris from some far flung corner of the galaxy, it was something else entirely. Something artificial.

The fireball fell towards a large cornfield in the Delpoi continent, somewhere in the state of Wyoming. It nearly crashed into a water tower, but its trajectory adjusted and crashed into the field. There was a loud boom as it impacted the ground, and once the smoke cleared, it was evident that this was no regular meteor. It was a giant obelisk made of white stone that wasn't native to Terra. An obelisk that was one of many that landed across Delpoi and Azteca. At the base of each pillar, four stabilizers dug into the ground to keep it upright, and the top of the pillars slid open to release a dozen tiny devices that surrounded the monolith. A tiny satellite dish rose from the top of the obelisk and began transmitting signals to the human satellites in Terra's orbit.

No one was any wiser as the obelisks used the humans own radio waves to increase its own signal, one invisible to human satellites. An alien signal.

XXXXXX

"That's it!" Sparkplug kicked over a rack as he stomped into Wheeljack's workshop. "I quit!"

Jolt and Longarm, who were working on a hover platform for the Ark's Minicon population to better travel around the ship, turned to their leader as he let out an uncharacteristic grunt of frustration. Only two days had passed since their little adventure with the children to rescue the Air Defense team, and the Autobots, Optimus especially, were less than thrilled to hear the details of this unsanctioned rescue mission. The kids were grounded from going on missions for a week and the Minicons were strongly reprimanded, with some of their exploratory freedoms revoked for the time being. No one was happy that day, and the once mended rift between Optimus and Sparkplug had torn open again.

"Your little chat with Prime didn't go very well, did it?" Longarm asked, working on the hovercraft's repulsor system.

"No, Longarm, it did not. I tried to explain why we did what we did…but I dunno." Sparkplug gave a tired groan and rubbed his face. "It just came out wrong."

Longarm shook his head. "Sparkplug, I know you're trying, but face it, we're Minicons, and they're Autobots. Common homeworld aside, the status quo is drastically one-sided. Try it now, Jolt."

Jolt turned on the hovercraft, and it gave a low hum before spinning around violently, not even moving an inch forward or backward. During this, Longarm and Sparkplug still talked.

"The Autobots mean well, and they've been really helpful to us," Longarm said, ignoring Jolt's terrified screams. "But as with the business with the Air Defense team demonstrated…"

"It's not us who's calling the shots. Right." Sparkplug nodded.

The hovercraft finally stopped spinning and Jolt fell onto his back in a daze, his vision swimming. Longarm stood over him. "Well?"

"S-speed control," Jolt groaned. "N-needs more work."

Sparkplug looked around at the room, at the massive ship that had been their home for a year now. Despite its size, it all felt constricting, like it was a cage. "You know, for all the Autobots have dressed this place up, it can't disguise the fact that this is just a holding facility," Sparkplug motioned to the immense chamber around him. "And that we're a very long way from home."

XXXXXXX

"Come on, Gina, hang out with us." Darren begged his girlfriend. He, Annie and Gina had just gotten out of school for the day and they were just enjoying a seemingly normal day as children. While hanging out with the Autobots and fighting Decepticons on crazy missions, past near death experiences had taught them to find joy in the simple things.

"I have homework, Darren. You have homework." Gina smiled coyly, loving the idea of leading him around. It was fun watching him chase after her. "The mall will still be there tomorrow."

"Ah, but we live in strange times, my little genius. Lights in the sky, crop circles, alien abductions," Darren wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I live each day as if it were my last on Terra."

"Crop circles? Darren, that's all fake." Gina laughed. Hard to see any stories about alien abductions and crop circles seriously after hanging out with real aliens that are nothing like the little grey men people imagine seeing.

"But what about the probes?" He asked, popping a kiss on her cheek to make her giggle. "You better hope those are fake, too." His teasing was interrupted when someone gave him a hard shove forward, making him fall onto his back. "Hey!"

He looked up and saw Billy and Fred standing there laughing at him. He thought that they forgot about him after Annie's little meltdown scared them off last winter. Gina frowned and helped him to his feet.

"Sorry Astro-Boy, was your flight grounded?" Billy laughed. Gina stepped forward, but Fred's round form got in her way.

"Easy, Gina. This is a private grudge match." Fred said. He lost most of his bravado upon seeing the murderous look in Gina's blue eyes.

Darren looked back and cursed when he saw a wad of gum sticking to the back of his shirt. This made Billy laugh harder. "Aw, look, you found my gum! But hey, you can have it!"

"That's it!" Darren tore the gum off his shirt with his telekinesis and glared at the bully. He wasn't one to start school fights, but that was back when he was afraid of getting discovered. His new handle on his powers have increased his confidence, and now he was not afraid to give Billy the beat down he deserved. "I've had enough of your crap!"

"Ooh, did I wake the dragon?" Billy taunted.

"Damn right you did," Darren said, slamming a fist into his palm. "You've had this coming."

Gina, who had Fred on the ground with one hand held behind his back, looked up at her boyfriend. "Darren, he's not worth it."

"Oh, he totally is."

"Yeah right," Billy smirked. "You and what arm-wah!"

Billy ducked as High Wire, in vehicle mode, jumped over his head and did a wheelie around the boy. Sureshock also leapt at Fred after rushing him from the bushes, chasing him like a shark. Annie ran up to the odd sight, holding Grindor in her arm.

"Whoa, what are guys doing?" Annie asked.

"Saving you guys!" Sureshock replied.

"Oh, just get us out of here!" Gina hopped on Sureshock, while Darren grabbed onto High Wire. With the bullies well and truly frightened, the three children rode out of the parking lot and down the street.

"High Wire, you shouldn't do things like that." Darren scolded. "Especially not in full view of other people."

"So long as they do not see our true forms, we can play it safe." High Wire said. "So long as you three are safe, I see no problem in bending the rules a bit."

Darren looked down at the disguised Minicon and sighed. "We are such a bad influence on you guys."

XXXXXX

It was sundown when the kids and their guardians decided to call it a day after spending their afternoon at the mall (Gina still had no idea how they managed to convince her to skip studying to head to the movies). The girls were waiting with the Minicons while Darren got their lunch from a food stand on the way home.

"So you're saying there are actual crop circles?" Sureshock asked.

"Yeah, there's hundreds of them, but they're all fake." Gina shrugged.

"But wasn't there another incident in Wyoming?" Annie hummed. "A farmer just found one burned into his cornfield, a bi one."

"Pranks made by country boys who couldn't get any dates Friday night." Gina said dismissively. "Come on, Annie, we're friends with real aliens right here with better things to do than vandalize some farmer's crops and draw in the dirt."

Annie shrugged and jumped up to allow Grindor to do a flip under her. "Who knows? It's a large universe."

"Not large enough for us, though." Grindor muttered.

"And it's getting late," Darren said as he returned holding their food. He handed the girls their bags and got on High Wire. "Let's drop Gina at her place and head back home. Debbie's working a late shift at the hospital."

Gina smiled at him. "Darren, I don't need to be escorted home."

"I know, but what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't see my lady safely home?" He said in a suave tone.

"Aww, you lover boy!" Gina gushed and they shared a kiss. Annie rolled her eyes and rode past them.

"Good grief. Let's go before they head to second base." She remarked. The Minicons drove onto the street as soon as their friends were secure and went down the familiar street that would take them out of downtown. Darren took a deep breath of the fresh night air and smiled.

"This is a nice ride." Darren commented, placing his arms behind is head to let High Wire balance for him. "And to think I used to peddle, right High Wire? High Wire?" He tapped the mech's handlebars to get his attention. "You okay there bud-whoa!"

He quickly held on tight to the handlebars as High Wire, Sureshock and Grindor suddenly increased their speed without warning. The girls tried to talk to their partners as well, but they wouldn't respond as well.

"Darren, what's happening?" Gina exclaimed. "Why aren't they answering?"

Annie yelped as a car made a sudden stop and almost crashed into a truck. Thankfully, Grindor still had enough awareness to avoid these obstacles in his path. "Why are the traffic lights suddenly headlights?"

They swerved off the chaotic streets that became a traffic nightmare thanks to the malfunctioning traffic lights, and the Minicons drove towards the outskirts of the city, compelled by some invisible force. Darren saw that they were reaching the forest, and at this time of day, they could easily get lost once the sun goes down.

"Oh, this is bad!" Darren said.

XXXXXX

"They're gone?!" Megatron roared.

"Y-yes, my lord," Knockout gulped. He stood before Megatron on the Nemesis' bridge as he gave his commander the _really_ bad news. "The Minicons are all gone, even Songbird. Apparently they used the ground bridge to leave the ship."

Megatron thought about it for a minute, then calmed down, rubbing his chin in thought. "Most curious. They know full well they're tagged. It's not as though they can hide."

Unless they weren't trying to hide at all. Giving Songbird's loyalty to Nightshade, to suddenly desert her was very strange. Was it possible that she and the others were being compelled by something?

"Orders, my liege?"

"Track them, but do not engage." Megatron ordered. "I sense this is a prelude to something greater."

XXXXXX

"They're gone?" Optimus said, staring at Prowl in shock. Much like Megatron, Optimus was just given the bad news-the Minicons were missing. Even the personal friends of the Autobots-Road Storm, Tracer, Peppercat, even Sparkplug; everyone was gone. According to the security logs, they all used the ground bridge from a remote link in their quarters-a link Optimus and the others didn't even know they had.

"Should I try to contact them? They've essentially deserted us, and I know Sparkplug is not the one to up and leave, unless…" Ratchet thought better than to mention the recent argument between the Micron leader and Prime, so he cleared his throat. "Well, maybe he needed to cool off."

"Meaning I overreacted? Perhaps I did, Ratchet, but they went against by explicit orders during that incident." Optimus said firmly.

"I'm just saying, they're not Autobots, and we can't treat them like subordinates."

"Ratchet, this is our ship. Our ship, our rules. That is something the Minicons must abide by." Prowl said. "They may be an independent faction, but as long as their affairs mingle with ours, they must adhere to authority."

"All of which served to drive them away." Optimus sighed and pressed a button. "Teletran, bring up the previous ground bridge coordinates. We need to know where the Minicons are going."

XXXXXX

The mind controlled Minicons had taken the children outside Tranquility and deep into the forest. With the sun practically gone by now, it was almost pitch black. They couldn't call the Autobots for help without falling off at the speed they were going, which would hurt a lot. Fortunately, they made it out of the forest and into a wide clearing near the same place where they had found Sparkplug's escape pod on that one fateful afternoon. There, they came upon a strange sight.

"What in Gaia's name is that?" Annie gaped.

In the middle of the grassy field was a thirty foot stone pillar at the center of a domed energy field. And to their horror, they saw Sparkplug, Longarm and the other Minicons walking towards it in a trance.

"This is weird." Gina said.

"Whatever that thing is, it's collecting the Minicons up like action figures! Huh?" Darren glanced down at High Wire when he came to a stop and gave a shout when he switched to robot mode, throwing him off. Sureshock and Grindor did the same.

"Guys? Come on, snap out of it!" Annie begged, starting to panic. "Darren, stop them!"

"I can't. Not without hurting them." He said. The Minicons, didn't even glance their way as they entered the energy field and continued towards the pillar. Looking up, Darren noticed the small radio dish on the top. "You guys see that?"

"Yeah, I do." Gina narrowed her eyes. "That thing is definitely alien, and not dolem either."

"We need to call the Autobots!" Annie said.

"We're already here, kid."

A ground bridge appeared in the field and Optimus appeared with Arcee, Jazz, Bumblebee, Wheeljack and Ironhide. The children smiled, thinking that the Autobots could fix this.

"Oh thank Gaia." Annie sighed.

"That thing has the Minicons in some kind of trance." Gina pointed to the pillar. "It's drawing them to it!"

"We got it, kid!" Ironhide charged up his cannons and pointed them at the pillar. "Prime, we clear to shoot.

"Just keep your aim high." Optimus aimed his ion cannon at the target. "Fire!"

At Prime's command, the Autobots opened fire on the obelisk with their weapons, mostly energy weapons to cause maximum damage. To their surprise and dismay, their weapons had little effect as they hit and dispersed against the spherical energy field.

"Great, that thing's got a shield!" Bumblebee groaned.

When the smoke cleared, two dozen panels opened up on the pillar near its base on four sides. Nearly two dozen laser emitters slid out and began shooting at the Autobots.

"And it has guns! Ow!" Jazz hissed as a laser hit his arm, blasting off a chunk of armor.

"Wheeljack, can you find a way to get this barrier down?" Optimus asked. The Minicons were now passing through the no-go zone of the field and they couldn't get close enough without being shot at. "We need to get in close."

"Not without knowing what it is, first!" Wheeljack said.

"Jetfire, Tomahawk, can you get in from above?" Arcee called in their air units.

The two flyers were trying to attack the pillar from above, firing missiles and laser blasts at the dome, but they too had little luck in that regard. In fact, they were busy dodging the laser light show that was trying to shoot them down.

"No luck up here, Arcee," Tomahawk said. "Our payload can't even dent that thing. The field is too strong."

Darren bit his lip as he saw the Autobots struggling to break through the barrier and groaned when he saw the Minicons entering the odd structure. "They're not going to make it."

"Darren, look!" Gina pointed at the base of the pillar. Her enhanced eyes could see the doors slide closed behind the Minicons once they were all inside. Then she took notice of the four nozzles on the bottom of the pillar-they were rockets! This obelisk was a spaceship!

XXXXXX

Thousands of miles down south in Azteca, the Decepticons were also meeting fierce resistance in the retrieval of their Minicons. Megatron was leading the assault from the ground and sky. Unfortunately for the, this pillar was packing as much firepower as the other two, loaded with an assortment of heat seeking missiles and pulse cannons that lit up the sky with explosions like fireworks.

"Lord Megatron, we're not making any progress with the barrier." Dreadwing reported.

"Don't give me that! Attack it with everything you've got!" Megatron roared, firing his fusion cannon at the energy barrier in his tank mode.

Nightshade, who was shooting either her ether arrows from Gandiva or firing missile darts from her wings, saw four panels slide open at the base and four rockets emerge. As soon as the last Minicon was inside, the rockets ignited and the pillar began to take off. The Cons on the ground were forced to back away from the intense flames, while the flyers that tried to assault the airborne obelisk was still met with strong resistance from its weapons systems.

"No, damn you!" Megatron roared and continued shooting at the obelisk. "Fall, fall!"

Despite his futile attempts to disable it, the obelisk had quickly reached the upper atmosphere, far from the reach of the Cons, along with the other two that were launching from Delpoi. In just an hour, the entire population of Minicons on Terra had been taken off the planet.

"Damn it all to hell!" Megatron snarled. "Knockout, link the Nemesis to the humans' satellite network and track that rocket! We need to bring it down before it passes the moon!"

"Megatron," Nightshade landed next to him and pointed at the spot the pillar had launched from. "Look."

He followed her gaze and his eyes went wide at the smoking patch of grass on the ground. Burned into the ground like a massive brand was a symbol-the faction symbol of the Micron faction.

XXXXXXX

Meanwhile, the Autobots had regrouped at the Ark, with the distraught children who were desperately trying to make sense of the situation. Seeing their friends just get snatched up like that was nothing short of terrifying and they needed answers.

"Optimus, what just happened?" Gina asked. "What was that rocket?"

"I don't know, Gina, but that symbol it left behind leaves an obvious clue as to who's behind this." Optimus said, not slowing his stride down the hall.

They entered the computer hub, where Ratchet was working at the terminal studying the footage of the battle against the obelisk. The medic stared at the screen, then turned to Optimus. "Optimus, that symbol…"

"I know, Ratchet," Optimus replied. "But have you checked the shuttle's trajectory?"

"I tried, but that energy barrier is probably blocking its heat signature." Ratchet shook his head helplessly. "I'm sorry, but it's gone."

"Don't say that, doc/ o know you can find them." Annie said. "We're not giving up now!"

"No one's giving up, Annie. But we need to know what we're dealing with if we want to save them." Bulkhead said.

"Maybe that huge Micron symbol in the ground is a clue?" Jetfire shrugged. "I don't know, it's just a hunch."

"That's the symbol of the Micron, the neutral Minicon faction." Flashpoint said. "But I thought the ones we had and the Decepticon Mini-Cons were the only active ones on this planet."

"Not exactly," Darren said, getting their attention. "Now that I think about it, Sparkplug said when the Exodus dropped out of fold space into Terra's orbit, it crashed into the moon before falling to Terra. It broke in half, with the front half falling to the planet."

"Wait, you think Minicons are behind this?" Sunstreaker snorted. "Those little bots can barely lift a screw without needing helo. What makes you think they're capable of staging a take over?"

"Dude," Rodimus placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "As your resident stand-in for Sideswipe, I am obligated to tell you to stop talking before someone makes you look stupid."

"It's been nearly 4.5 million years since the Exodus crashed on Terra, what's so impossible about active Minicons living on the moon?" Arcee said. "The winter solstice had already caused some panels to activate prematurely, after all."

"If that's true, then we already know where out Minicons were taken to." Prowl said. Optimus nodded.

"Luna."

XXXXXXX

Sparkplug had been through some pretty strange experiences, but this one had to be on the top three. There was a huge hole in his memory, from helping Jolt and Longarm in the Ark, to waking up here, with friend and for lying around him. He had to work with Leader-1 of all people to wake up their respective comrades. They were all stuck in a large cell sealed by a hard-light energy barrier. There wasn't much to see outside other than a dimly lit hallway. Seeing that they had no other options, Sparkplug did the only thing he could do-yell.

"Hey! Hey!" Sparkplug yelled into the hall. "Is anyone there?"

He waited for a reply, or for someone to come shut him up, but nothing happened. Sparkplug exhaled and kicked the energy field.

"Shouting doesn't work, who would've thought." Leader-1 taunted.

"Shut up, Leader-1," Sparkplug said. "Why hasn't anyone come? I mean, whoever brought us here must have done so for a reason."

"Ever think this might be the reason?"

Everyone turned to D-Va, who was leading against the stone wall at the back of the cell. The dim lights made her pink armor look darker, and her light magenta eyes glowed furiously as she glared at both Sparkplug and Leader-1. "Think about it. As far as we know, this is the sum total of Minicons currently on Terra. Our presence is a catalyst for war, if follows us around like a bad smell."

"So somebody decided to just remove us? Lock us up and throw away the key?" Runway crossed his arms. "I don't buy it."

"Absolutely not." Sonar said.

"No way." Jetstorm shook his head.

"Even if you're right, D-Va, the question is still who." Sparkplug said. Brahe let out a frustrated grunt.

"Brahe is stick of talking!" He roared. "Brahe will break us out!"

Before he could transform into his spherical alt mode, Peppercat jumped on his and jammed her fingers into his cranium to electrocute him, bringing him to his knees. Sureshock kicked him in the face.

"You can't transform in here you dumbass!" Sureshock hissed. "You'll bounce off the barrier and kill everyone here!"

Rollbar went to study the barrier. "This obviously isn't terran technology. Too sophisticated, even for OZ. Some alien race, perhaps?"

"Actually, Rollbar, the answers are right in front of you."

The Minicons turned their attention back to the front of the cell, and saw three Minicons standing at the entrance. Sparkplug quickly recognized them as Dualor, a dark blue mech, the bright orange Drill Bit with a drill on his right arm, and Bonesaw, a yellow mech with a saw on his left arm. They were the Destruction Minicon team, and standing behind them was another gestalt, like Centurion, who had black/rose colored armor and stood at 11 feet tall.

"Heavy Metal." High Wire whispered. The female Minicon gestalt gave him a sardonic smile.

"High Wire." She said in a multilayered voice.

"Dualor, Drill Bit and Bonesaw," Sparkplug couldn't believe his eyes. "You're all alive."

"Us and many more." Dualor nodded.

"But where are we? What's with the forcefield?" sparkplug leaned in, but Jolt held him back. "And how did we get here, anyway? I can't remember a thing."

"All your questions will be answered, I promise." Dualor said. He nodded to Drill Bit to open the door. "Now, stand away from the barrier, and please-" Heavy Metal pointed her weapons at them. "-No sudden moves."

The captive Minicons tensed up, and the Street Action team looked ready to combine, but Undertone gave them a discreet shake of the head. No sense in starting a fight without knowing everything they can.

"So…we're your prisoners. Is that it?" Sparkplug asked bitterly.

Dualor held up his hands in a placating gesture. "The manner of your extraction was direct, abrupt. Your first reaction may be volatile. So I took precautions."

"Stand down boys," Shot whispered to his team. "But stay on guard."

Sparkplug, Leader-1, High Wire, come with me, see all that we've accomplished here." Dualor invited them to follow him. "This is for the best. Trust me…you're home now!"

Sparkplug and High Wire traded worried glances. This felt like it was going to more of a permanent stay for them. And that Terra was a long ways off.

XXXXXX

"If we worked this out, it's a fair bet Megatron has too. We must go on the possibility that all Minicons on Terra were captured." Optimus told his team.

"So what now?" Annie asked. "Couldn't you guys use the ground bridge to get to the moon or something?"

"Too risky." Wheeljack said. "The ground bridge was only designed for planetary transportation. Trying to sent a bridge to Luna would only cause the bridge to strain and potentially snap, scattering us into space."

"Which means we'll have to fly." Tomahawk said.

"And the Cons have flyers in spades, so we'll be out matched in that regard." Rodimus said.

"Uh, guys? Our talos can fly, and they can survive in space too." Darren said. "We can back up Jetfire and Tomahawk on the mission."

Optimus almost instinctively refused his request, but then thought about it. They didn't have the luxury of holding back right now. Sparkplug and the others were in trouble, and Megatron wasn't going to hesitate to send all of his flyers to the moon. The Cons had them on air superiority, and the talos were exceptional in atmospheric and zero-G conditions, as Gina had proved during her mission on Cybertron.

"Children, get your pilot suits and man your talos. You three will be flying to Luna with Jetfire and Tomahawk."

"Hell yeah, we're going to the moon!" Annie cheered.

"You three make it quick. I'm sure Megatron has already sent his air units to space as well." Prowl said.

And he was right. On the beaches of Decepticon Island, Megatron stood before Nightshade, Dreadwing and the Seeker unit.

"I don't need to tell you how important this is." Megatron said, glaring at all of them. "If our Minicons were targets, then so were the Autobots' pets. Go up there, locate those Minicons, and bring them all to me!"

Dreadwing nodded. "We will not-"

"Don't say you won't fail until you've actually completed the mission, Dreadwing." Megatron hissed. The new aerospace commander nodded and fell back in line.

"If everyone understands the mission, then you know what to do." Nightshade said and transformed to her beast mode. "It's time we started this game."

"Game?" Thundercracker inquired.

"Yes, Thundercracker, a game," She flew into the air and the Seekers followed her lead. "A game called Hunt the Minicon!"

XXXXXX

As Dualor showed his "guests" the rest of his hidden lunar sanctuary, Sparkplug and High Wire realized that he had built a literal fortress. Everything was underground, hidden from solar radiation and human satellites. The base itself was small, just large enough to comprise the entire canyon with numerous leading to caves under Luna's surface.

During the tour, Sparkplug saw other Minicons he thought he'd never see again; the Space Team, the Race team, the Street Speed team, and the Emergency team. They were all living on Luna, and no one was any wiser to their presence above their heads.

"We started with very little-the remains of the Exodus, its cargo, and what raw materials this rock had to offer…and look what we made!" Dualor grinned at his peers. "A home away from home. Secure, self-sufficient, defensible. A sanctuary…a fortress!"

"This is unbelievable," High Wire whispered in awe, and looked at Breakage, one of Heavy Metal's components. "But I don't see Redline, Combusta and Kingbolt's teams. Where are they?"

"They were among the Minions jettisoned from the Exodus. Locating them has been difficult." She said.

"But we're already in the process of locating four new panels hidden on the planet." Dualor motioned to the control center where the Space team was already working at their stations. "It's thanks to Astroscope and his crew that we were able to find them, and you. All thinks to a psionic radio wave that attracts Minicon brainwaves. I won't bore you with the science behind it, but it's how we brought you here."

"When hostilities started on Cybertron, we avowed our independence, dug in deep," Breakage gave Leader-1 a harsh glare. "But thanks to bottom feeders like you we lost our homes to Megatron as he tore our defenses apart."

"I did what I had to do to get my revenge for Solomus. I'm guiltless in my Spark." Leader-1 growled.

"Well, worry no longer, you're not the only Decepticon traitor, Leader-1." Dualor said. He pointed to a three mechs patrolling the center-a pair of twins, one white, the other black, and the third bright green and orange mech. "Rook, Crosswise and Thunder (Armada Inferno) were also like you, they joined the Cons for power as well. But I gave them a chance, join our lunar commute as free individuals-or end up as space dust on the solar winds. They made the right choice."

High Wire glared at Dualor. "And us? When did you decided we wanted in?"

Dualor snorted. "When the alternative was being Megatron's pet power cell or Prime's lackey, I think I'm doing you a favor."

They walked deeper into the base, passing by three escape shuttles that were salvaged from the Exodus' hangar bay, and the armory that was full of weapons. Weapons that Sparkplug didn't recognize. "I don't remember outfitting the Exodus with anti-aircraft weapons."

"The missiles and laser arrays are last minute additions I made before we launched from Hydrau, courtesy of a certain trader of questionable goods."

"Swindle." Leader-1 hissed. Sparkplug was just as incensed.

"So you went behind my back and made backroom deals?" He yelled.

"I did what I needed to do to preserve our kind! Don't accuse me of nothing when all I've done is salvage your mess!" Dualor shouted, losing his composure. "I did all of this for you, for High Wire, even for Leader-1. I did it for all Minicons! We don't have to slaves to the Autobots or Decepticons anymore! I saved you!"

"Saved us? You afforded us the same lack of consideration as the Decepticons!" High Wire said.

Dualor nearly punched High Wire clean in the jaw, but he held himself back. "If you can't see the difference between this and living at Optimus Prime's beck and call, or being Megatron's slave, then you've been more thoroughly brainwashed than I realized."

"It's not brainwashing, it's friendship. Some of us have made friends with the Autobots, and I've made friends with the humans who freed us!" High Wire replied. "It's thanks to them that we're even having this conversation!"

"So you'd rather be glorified bodyguards to a bunch of insignificant fleshies? And you were supposed to be our greatest warrior." Dualor spat. "No matter, if Centurion is useless, then Heavy Metal will pick up your slack."

"They'll come you know," Leader-1 spoke up. "The Decepticons, the Autobots, maybe even High Wire's human pets. They'll all come once they realize where we are."

"Well then," Dualor's grin was chilling enough to make even Leader-1 step back. "Bring them on!"

XXXXXX

Nightshade and the Seekers were already en route to Luna, having used the ground bridge to teleport them half way into the upper atmosphere before continuing the rest of the way themselves. They were soon in the weightless environment of space and were circling to the dark side of the moon.

"Seekers, switch to sub0neuro speech drives." Nightshade ordered. "And be ready for anything."

"Nightshade, we're approaching their out defenses." Thundercracker reported.

As they neared Luna's dark side, they could see an entire cloud of proximity mines being released into space from hidden launchers on the moon's surface. The Cons knew that as soon as they within less than a foot of those mines, they could explode. Which didn't sound too bad, as all they had to was avoid them, but they weren't expecting the mines to suddenly fly towards them. Nightshade fired a swarm of missile darts from her wings to detonate the mines.

"Seekers, take evasive action!" Dreadwing weaved through the exploding mine field, shooting his laser guns at the deadly spheres.

"For Megatron's sake," Skywarp grunted as he took two mines to his underside. He transformed and started shooting them down, trying to avoid the ones coming at him from all directions. "There's too many of them to bust through!"

"Then shoot them down!" Skyquake yelled.

"Skywarp, teleport me and Dreadwing into the moon's orbit!" Nightshade commanded.

Skywarp complied, taking hold of the two Cons and warping them closer to the moon. But as soon as they appeared, missile pods disguised as moon rockets emerged from the ground and fired a heavy volley of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery. Nightshade transformed and shot three of them down with Gandiva, but got hit in her wing from a missile that caught her from behind. Another caught Dreadwing in his leg, and Skywarp lost a chunk of armor on his arm from a well placed laser blast to his shoulder. In the mine field, Thundercracker flew as fast as he could around the oncoming missiles, but they followed suit.

"Laser-guided, frag me!" Thundercracker weaved through the canyons to use the natural terrain as cover, but the hidden photon turrets opened fire at him as he passed through, pelting him with white hot bursts that tore into his armor. He cursed and swayed unsteadily, hitting the canyon wall and crashing into the ground, rolling to a stop amidst a pile of and lunar rocks.

XXXXXX

This chaos was exactly what Jetfire, Tomahawk and the children came upon as they flew towards Luna's dark side. The dark half of the moon was alit with explosions blossoming in space, laser fire, missile detonations and bright white lightning from Gandiva. The Autobots took point, with the omega team at the rear. The three talos were emitting large amounts of sol particles from their vents in order to cover their approach from enemy sensors. This was the only reason the mines were chasing them down like bloodhounds.

For Darren and Annie, this was a surreal experience. It was their first time leaving their native planet, and even though it was not as extravagant as going to Cybertron, it was a bit terrifying. There was no air, no sound save for the dull booms of explosions, and it was easy to become disorientated. The cockpits of their mecha were pressurized, so they didn't have to worry about air, and the same went for their pilot suits. But there was always that lingering fear of what would happen if the cockpit was damaged, or if their suits were breached. These fears would've eventually paralyzed the twins had Jetfire not been talking them through the whole flight.

"You doin' okay in there, kids?" Jetfire asked.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Darren said. "We're just trying to process it, that's all. I mean…we're in space!"

"This is so weird." Annie whispered.

"Just focus on what's in front of you," Gina said. "Don't let the vastness of space get to you. Just fight like you always do, and keep your eye on the prize."

"Says the girl who hitched a ride to Cybertron." Annie muttered.

"Annie, please, we'll get through this," Gina promised, giving Annie a smile through the communications monitor. "We have to, for Sparkplug and the others."

Annie took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the control sticks. "Okay, let's get this done."

"We'll fly in arrow formation," Tomahawk said. "Jetfire and I will take up the rear. Darren, Annie and Gina, you three will form the tip of the spear. We'll be relying on you guys to cover our approach for as long as possible until they get a visual on us. By then, it'll be too late for them."

"Got it." Darren switched his talos into flight mode and got into position with the girls. "All right, people, let's go get our friends back!"

XXXXXX

Sparkplug jumped as more tremors shook the base. The monitors were showing Dreadwing shooting at the main entrance to the fortress, while Skywarp and Thundercracker took out the automated guns. Bonesaw led the three Minicons to their cells.

"Seems pretty intense," Sparkplug noted, secretly mapping the halls they went down. "Can the place stand up to that sort of punishment?"

"Better believe it. There's moon rock reinforced tritenium and force fields between us and them." Bonesaw said. "Now move it! You just tell your buddies this is as safe as they'll ever be."

"And if we still want to leave?" High Wire asked. He was still aggravated from his argument with Dualor and was itching for a fight.

"Then we'll show you the door!"

Nightshade fired another arrow to take out the missile pod near her, but two proton blasts hit her legs. She fell to her knees and caught a few armor piercing rounds to the face before she smashed it apart. She cursed and tried to stand, but Thundercracker had to help her up. She saw that the other Seekers were also having problems getting past the base's defenses. These Minicons were well-equipped for any invader in mind.

"Slag," Nightshade hissed. They weren't getting anywhere with a frontal assault. "Seekers, fall back!"

The Cons disengaged and followed Nightshade back to their secondary positions near the lunar canyons for cover. When the Minicons saw this, they were elated.

"The Decepticons are retreating!" Rook announced. "Minicons, we have drove them back!"

The Minicons cheered at their victory, but Dualor and his team were as happy. He pushed pasted the crowed and continued towards the command center.

"Looks like we have 'em on the ropes." Drill Bit said.

"They'll be back in force. Count on it." Dualor said. He knew the next time the Cons come attacking, it'll be a close fight that will probably cost them a lot of artillery in the process. "How are our guests Bonesaw?"

"Figure Sparkplug and High Wire are gonna be a problem. Not sure about Leader-1, but some of the others are going to be a problem." Bonesaw crossed his arms with a grunt. "But they'll come around…in time."

Dualor frowned. He wasn't worried about Sparkplug's group of pencil pushers, but Leader-1's cabal could prove to be a problem. They weren't numerous, but could still pose a threat if they weren't monitored carefully. But no matter how much they whined and cried, he wasn't going to let them go just like that. Not when their kind was at their strongest.

"I just got word from Astroscope," Indy (Armada Mirage), leader of the combiner Race team that formed the Skyboom Shield, said as he approached the group. "He said two Autobots and three unknowns just appeared in out cameras south of the base."

"Five bogeys? How the hell did they get past the minefield and our sensor web?" Bonesaw growled. Indy shrugged.

"Three unknowns?" Drill Bt inquired.

"Must be those three human Leader-1 was talking about. The Street Action team's human pets," Dualor spat. "Pathetic."

So not only did they have Autobots and Decepticons knocking at their doors, but the humans were getting in on the action, too? Fine, he'll kill them all if that's what it took to ensure Minicon independence. Dualor knew Sparkplug's Exodus ship was going to end up in flames, but he still went along with it anyway because it promised to ferry Minicons out of Decepticon…and Autobot hands.

Sure, may argue that the Decepticons had always been the primary aggressors, but in their own way, the Autobots are no different. They had become dangerously dependant on Minicon augmentation. Dualor knew that it wasn't going to end on Terra, so he took it upon himself to take the Minicons stranded on Terra out of the equation. He knew doing so would provoke a reaction from both sides, but he was prepared. No one, Autobot, Decepticon or human was going to take away their freedom!

"What should we do? I doubt some of the other bots are willing to attack the Autobots." Drill Bit asked.

"Then we put some like-minded bots in charge of operations." Dualor turned to Indy. "Tell Breakage and Terradive to man the secondary pulse cannons and charge up the rail guns. We'll tear the Autobots down ourselves!"

XXXXXX

"So what the hell was that?" Thundercracker asked, nursing a shoulder wound. "We were completely thrashed out there! I thought this was going to be easy."

"We were unprepared, Thundercracker, that's all." Nightshade said, sitting on a boulder. "In our zeal, I forgot the first rule of battle. Find a weakness and exploit it for all its worth."

The Decepticons were recuperating in a small canyon two miles away from the Minicon base. It was hell getting there with all the hidden artillery and cannons, but they managed to fly out of range and give themselves some breathing room. They were slagged in all but name, but now it was time to think of a new battle plan.

"Is there a weakness?" Skywarp grumbled. He had it almost as bad as Nightshade, having taken the brunt of the base's auto-guns upon teleporting into the base's field of view. "All I'm seeing, Nightshade, is shields, reinforced rock and a whole slew of armaments."

"Which, we got a good taste of earlier." Skyquake groaned. "My afterburners are still ringing."

"The Minicons are dug in deep all right," She smiled and looked at Skywarp. "But that just means you have to dig in deeper. Skywarp, I have a job for you."

XXXXXXX

Back in their prison, the captured Minicons weren't having a jolly time. High Wire explained the situation to them, and they reacted differently. Some non-aligned Minicons like Cannon and Shot were a bit on the fence about it, but Songbird and Peppercat were largely against it. Overall, opinions were mixed, but not centered on one thing. Either way, they were still stuck in a cell with a war going on outside.

"Despite the abrupt abduction, I don't see anything wrong with this place." Liftor said.

"Are you kidding?" Grindor snorted. "I don't want to be stuck on the moon waiting for the Cons to take pot shots at us! I want to be with our friends!"

"So you'd rather be with humans than your own kind?" Cannon sneered. "You're more pathetic that I thought."

"Don't start you cog sucker or we'll sick Annie on you!" Grindor shouted.

"Can we get out of here?" Sureshock asked, throwing a rock at the barrier. "If we can't, we'll never see Darren, Annie or Gina again."

"Let me get this straight-you want to be rescued? Why?" Shot asked his tone harsh. "We're home, or as close to it as we'll likely get."

"Oh sure, this is really homey. The cozy cell, the warm glow of the security force fields," Jolt said sarcastically. "All they forgot was the mat with "Welcome" on it."

"You might wanna check that attitude, Jolt!" Crack growled. Jolt wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"Or you'll do what, soldier boy?"

"Knock it off!" D-Va yelled, pushing them apart. "This isn't the time or the plans you morons!"

"At ease, Crack." Shot said, placating his teammate.

"This is better than most human dramas." Search laughed.

"Don't you all see? We're with our kind now, making a stand against the Bulks who torched our world with their war." Liftor said. "For all of us here, the war's over."

"Maybe," Sparkplug muttered, but everyone heard him. They all turned to the yellow Minicon who hadn't said a word since they got back.

"Sparkplug?" Longarm said.

"Guys, I've been giving this a lot of thought." Sparkplug said. "If you're happy to be here, that's all fine and good. If not, well…that's the real question, isn't it? See, it's not whether we're better off here, safer, happier…it's that no one asked! Dualor, Drill Bit, Bonesaw, whoever else…we should quit griping and thank them and get on with our new lives. But I for one can't. Because they didn't ask, they just took. And that is exactly what we were running from in the first place!"

Unseen from prying eyes, a dark figure stood near the wall, hearing Sparkplug's impassioned speech. Indy of the Race team looked down in thought before quietly sneaking down the hall.

XXXXXX

"This is insane!" Jetfire yelled.

He flew through the air with explosions trailing behind him. Heat seeking missiles tried to shoot him down, but he used flares to throw them off course and avoided the rest skillfully. Tomahawk had to fly low to the ground and fire off her missiles to take out the laser cannons and pods.

As for the kids, they flew their talos across the moon's surface using their mecha's sol particles to generate a stealth field to mask their heat signatures. Annie fired off Enyo's own supply of missiles to annihilate the cannons, while Gina's Athena tore apart the automated defenses. Darren was their main source of protection, forming a telekinetic barrier against the incoming projectiles.

"How far do we have to go?" Annie asked.

"Just another mile or two." Tomahawk said. "I can see the outline of the base near the crater."

"Can you see the bloody artillery cannons too?" Jetfire shouted, smashing two particle cannons apart. "Because they have plenty of those-ah!" He was knocked to the ground as a hole was torn in his shoulder.

"Jetfire!" Gina exclaimed. She screamed as another beam hit her unit's leg in mid-flight, sending her spinning uncontrollably before hitting the ground hard.

"What's hitting us?" Darren asked, erecting a TK barrier just as another purple beam was fired at him.

"It's a fusion cannon!" Tomahawk declared, transforming to robot mode and crouching inside a crater. "We need to lay low to avoid being targeted."

Annie flew over to Gina and Jetfire, landing her talos on the hard ground. But the minute Enyo's foot touched the ground, she was engulfed in a mighty explosion that sent the talos flying off into space, up into the firing line of the photon cannons attacking her position. More land mines exploded around Jetfire and Athena, throwing the white talos around like a toy soldier, but Jetfire made sure to take the brunt of the explosion.

"I am so sick of this crap!" Darren raised his talos' arms and a mile of rock was uprooted in front of him. The undetonated gravity mines that he revealed were thrown at the base, and they all exploded at once, illuminating the southern perimeter of the fortress like the fourth of July.

XXXXXX

"That red one is going to be a problem." Bonesaw said.

"Focus the fusion cannons on the red machine and keep forcing the Autobots back. We'll torch them all right here!" Dualor said. Indy appeared in the doorway, losing his optical camouflage. "Indy, how are our guests?"

"They're doing…good." Indy lied. "They're coming around. Even the diehards like Sparkplug and Leader-1 are considering a change."

"Really?" Drill Bit hummed. "I'd have thought those two would be the most problematic."

Indy looked down. "Well…"

Suddenly the base began to shake as an explosion sounded in the distance, catching the Minicons off guard.

"What was that?" Indy asked.

"Indy, go check on our guests. Make sure the holding field is secure." Dualor turned to his team. "You two are coming with me to the control center. I want to know what the hell is going on!"

Dualor had no idea that Nightshade had Skywarp retrieve an energon driller from Terra. She had Knockout ground bridge both him and the machine into orbit, where he teleported it the rest of the way. He had to make multiple warps to get the machine to Luna, but when he got it there, the rest was history. Trying to take the base from the front was near impossible with all the heavy fire coming at them, so Nightshade figured using the drill to tunnel under the base was more effective. Thundercracker and Skyquake would maintain diversionary tactics to keep on the pressure, and as for Nightshade and Dreadwing…

"The whole place is coming down!" Jolt screamed.

"Hehe, no you fools," Leader-1 laughed. "It's out ride home!"

The rock wall behind them was smashed apart and Nightshade's avian head stomped into the hall. Her red eyes gleaming, she pecked at the barrier, her sharp beak breaking apart the shield generator and dispersing the force field. Songbird hopped around, positively elated at seeing her mistress again.

"Mistress!" Songbird cried out, flying onto the larger bird's shoulder.

"I missed you too, Songbird." Nightshade said, equally as glad to have her Minicon back. Then Leader-1 had to ruin the moment.

"You certainly took your damn time." Leader-1 complained. He yelped as Nightshade snapped her beak at him.

"Be glad I don't snap you in half for that!" She hissed. "Now, as for the rest of you…"

She grunted when she felt plasma blasts hit her back and swung her head around to see a team of Minicons attacking her with heavy weapons. They were members of the base's security team.

"You aren't taking anyone!" Glacier of the Adventure team shouted. "Iceberg, Dunerunner, torch her!"

"Little pests. Songbird, deal with them!" Nightshade looked at Leader-1. "Leader-1, take the others and find the nerve center of this place. Shut down their defenses."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"What? No, someone stop them!" Sparkplug charged at Leader-1, but someone pulled him back.

"Sparkplug, if she's made it in, then the base is lost." Indy whispered, dragging him and High Wire away. "You must get your friends out of here, now."

"But what about the rest of you?" High Wire asked.

"The two Autobots and humans you've spoken of are under attack as well, and are in danger." Indy told them.

"The children?!" Sureshock gasped.

""My team and I will lead you to them, and the rest can go to the escape pods down on the second level."

"Why are you helping us?" Grindor asked. "I thought you worked for Dualor."

"Not all of us are here strictly by choice. Dualor and his supporters have turned this community into a dictatorship. The weapons, forcing us into Heavy Metal's arsenal, it's too much." Indy sighed. "I will inform my allies to go to Terra with you. As far as I'm concerned, Dualor can rot."

"Then we better get going." Sparkplug said. He was glad to see that Dualor had no friends among the gestalt targetmasters. "High Wire, take your team and rendezvous with the children. Jolt I need you to lead the group to the shuttles."

"But what about you?" jolt asked.

"I'm going to find Dualor and end this nightmare." Sparkplug said, a determined expression on his face. "We won't be able to leave if he's still running the show, and our friends outside need help as well."

"Okay, stay safe, Sparkplug." High Wire said and faced his team. "Let's go!"

The Street Action Team ran down the corridor while Jolt led the Autobot-aligned Minicons to the escape pods. But D-Va remained behind.

"D-Va, what are you doing? I told you to-"

"I heard you, but you're going to need help against Dualor's goons and Leader-1's lackeys." She said. "You couldn't throw a punch worth a damn, anyway."

"But-oh forget it, come on!" Sparkplug said and ran down the hall with her towards the command center together.

XXXXXX

"Astroscope, what the frag it going on?" Dualor snarled. The space team leader looked at him in panic.

"A Decepticon just appeared in the holding cells down below. Glacier's team is engaging, but they're not doing much damage."

"How did she get past our defenses? We're shooting at them from every damn direction!" Bonesaw raged.

"She drilled into the rock." Payload said.

"Never mind that! What about our guests, what happened to them?"

"What do you think? They're free and heading towards the shuttle bay." Astroscope said. "And we need to do the same."

"You're not going anywhere!" Dualor growled. "Sparkplug and Leader-1 are going to be converging on this place and we need to hold them back!"

"But the place is coming apart!" Astroscope replied, but froze when Dualor pulled a blaster on him.

"We have invested too much in this fortress to abandon it. I am not running from those damn war mongers even if it kills me. So you are going to sit there and manage our defenses or I'll have Heavy Metal tear you in half!"

Astroscope looked like he wanted to run or go back to work, but seeing how frazzled Dualor was at hearing the news of his prisoners' freedom had sparked something in him. A certain fire that made him stare directly into Dualor's eyes and outright deny him.

"Go ahead and shoot," He said through clenched teeth. "At least I'd die helping Sparkplug, our real leader, than a militant like you!"

Dualor gnashed his teeth so hard he nearly chipped them. He shoved the blaster into Astroscope's head, fully intending to pull the trigger, when a disc fell at his team's feet and exploded, sending them all crashing into the walls. Through the smoke, Astroscope saw Leader-1, Search, Rook, Crosswise and Thunder entering the room.

"Rank amateurs," Leader-1 huffed, kicking Drill Bit aside. "I'll show you how to bring down the house!"

Astroscope was running on auto-pilot at this point, already having his team mobilize. "Payload, Skyblast, combine!"

Being gestalts, all it took was a single thought for them to combine into their weapon mode; a long barreled solar cannon called the Hydra Cannon. Astroscope formed the cannon's barrel, while Payload and Skyblast composed the other half. It was another powerful Minicon weapon capable of firing beams of charged solar or particle energy so concentrated that it could pierce the armor of a Bulk in one hit. But as they were designed to be wielded by Centurion or Heavy Metal, they couldn't keep themselves steady to aim properly. But that didn't stop them from taking a pot shot at Leader-1.

"Oh slag, scatter!"

The Mini-Cons jumped aside as an immensely hot beam shot past them. They were quick enough to escape instant death, but not Brahe, who just got into the room after getting lost. The brutish Mini-Con didn't know what hit him as the beam punctured his chest and his body exploded. Leader-1 and his group had no time to react as the Space Team decombined and made a run for the secondary exit. Rook made to follow them, but Leader-1 stopped them.

"Don't bother, this is more important." Leader-1 said. "Thunder, get on that console."

Thunder did so without question. It only took a few minutes into the system and deactivate the weapons systems. "It's done."

"Nightshade, external and internal defenses are disabled. A dampener field is block all non-Decepticon comm-channels," Leader-1 reported. "The base is ours."

XXXXXX

"That red one is starting to piss us off." Heavy Metal growled. "Why aren't you shooting at it?"

Terradive pressed the trigger but the fusion cannons didn't respond. "Something's wrong with the fusion cannons. They're dead!"

"Hell, none of our weapons are working!" Thunderflame (Armada Thunderwing) said. "Even the missile pods and auto-guns won't move!"

"Well get them back up and fast. That thing is tearing up our barricades!" Gunbarrel said.

Outside, Darren and Tomahawk were mowing down the weapons systems that weren't connected to the main defense network. Darren would tear up large rocks and throw them at the southern wall. The closer they got, the more damage was being done. Gunbarrel cursed when he saw Prometheus rip up the last of the missile pods and toss it as the blast shields. It was only thanks to those defenses that they were drifting in space as smoldering wrecks by now."

"How is he doing that?" He questioned. He had never seen any of the humans' mecha do that from the pirated satellite signals he watched in the past.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" A deep voice said.

They spun around to see Centurion stomping through the door with the Hydra cannon in hand. Without hesitation, he fired the cannon and destroyed the pulse cannon turrets, blasting Thunderflame away. Heavy Metal gave an enraged shout and Gunbarrel transformed into his weapon mode, a six-chambered electrostatic cannon. The female gestalt grabbed him and fired six rounds of electrical blasts at Centurion. He ducked behind a pillar and fired the cannon again, this time destroying a generator that nearly incinerated Terradive and sent shrapnel stabbing into Heavy Metal's arm and leg.

"Die traitor!" Terradive transformed into his jet mode and fired a volley of laser blasts at Centurion's back. The gestalt growled and swung the cannon, using it as a bat to smack Terradive out of the air. Heavy Metal threw Gunbarrel aside and charged at Centurion, who released the Hydra Cannon and met her charge head on. They grappled each other, struggling to beat the other into submission.

Heavy Metal gritted her teeth and lifted Centurion above her head, throwing him into the wall. She ran at him, but was met with a foot to the face, bringing her to the ground. The wheel on Centurion's foot spun, tearing at her optical visor. She grunted in pain and stabbed a piece of metal into his leg to get him off and jumped back up, backhanding Centurion across the face. Heavy Metal tried to follow up with another punch, but Centurion was faster, ducking under her fist and slamming his knuckles into her cheek. He punched her again in the other cheek, and followed up with a head butt.

Meanwhile, the Space Team had separated and got to work on lowering the blast shields, but just as they did that, they saw a giant rock flying at them. "Look out!" Astroscope exclaimed.

They jumped to the side as the rock smashed into the turret, shattering glass and destroying the cannon. A piece of rock hit Heavy Metal and they both crashed into the wall, nearly getting Centurion as well.

"Centurion?" Darren's voice came from his talos' speakers as it walked over to the hole he made. Centurion smiled and waved him over.

"Darren!" He called out.

The three children and Tomahawk reunited with the Street Action team and Space team. But above them, Thundercracker caught sight of the group and went in for the kill. "Dreadwing, I've got a visual on the humans and an Autobot! They've breac-"

"What's up, crackerjack!" Jetfire appeared behind him and fired a few blasts from his particle cannon into Thundercracker's wings. He wobbled for a moment before transforming to robot mode just as he hit the inside of a crater, rolling to a stop in the hard rock.

"Centurion, where are the others?" Annie asked.

"The others are heading towards the escape pods, but Sparkplug and D-Va are running for the control room."

"We'll protect the pods when they launch." Darren said and pointed his talos' head towards the wary Space team. "You three are welcome to hang with us. We'll get you to Terra safely."

"Thank you." Astroscope said gratefully. He had never felt so happy in a long time.

XXXXXX

Nightshade stomped through the halls of the fortress in her beast mode, since she was already too big to traverse these low hanging halls in her bipedal form. She sent Songbird ahead to find the shuttle bay before the Minicons had a chance to leave. That was when she got the message.

"Nightshade, Thundercracker reported two Autobots and three talos at the southern perimeter of the fortress." Dreadwing said. "We're engaging them now."

"Leader-1, activate the defenses at the southern wall and target the Autobots." She ordered. But instead of a reply, multiple panels on the walls slid open to reveal dozens of photon emitters, which started shooting at Nightshade. "Gah! Leader-1, what the hell are you doing?!"

In the control room, D-VA smirked as she had the base's defense grid target the Decepticons. "Choke on that bitch."

Behind her, the Race team was fighting the Mini-Cons, while Sparkplug engaged Leader-1 in a close quarters knife fight. The two mechs slashed at each other, on top of throwing kicks and punches. All the while, they glared and spat insults at each other.

"You never quit when you're ahead, do you, Sparky?" Leader-1 snarled, blocking a kick from Sparkplug. "I wreck Dualor's place, and you're still getting in my way!"

"IT's because you're a Decepticon! Why the hell do you think I'm fight you?"

D-Va jumped in and spin-kicked Leader-1 in the face. "As much as I would like to watch you two play Optimus and Megatron, we need to bounce before Nightshade comes hunting for us!"

They ran for the exit, but Sparkplug was hit by two explosive shells that caught him in the chest and shoulder. D-Va turned and saw Dualor pulling himself up from his tank mode, slinking over to the control panel.

"Traitors…all of you," He panted, pointing his blaster at the console. "This is all because you fools refused to listen to me. I risked everything to free us, and this is how you repay me?!"

"Dualor, stop! Don't do it!" Indy shouted.

"No! I won't go back to being a slave! We'll all die here before we become tools of the Autobots and Decepticons!" Dualor shouted before shooting at the console, destroying it and short-circuiting the system.

In the sub-level, the photon emitters stopped shooting at Nightshade, and the moderately wounded femme glared bloody murder at the security cameras. With a savage cry that would put a Bald Eagle to shame, she fired missiles from her wings into the ceiling and smashed her large body through the rock and metal to reach the control room.

"D-Va, take Sparkplug and go!" Indy said, handing the wounded mech to her.

"But what about you three?"

"We'll be fine." Downshift said, and handed her a data-slug. "Give that to Sparkplug. It's the coordinates for the four stasis panels that we located. Now go!"

D-Va hesitated, but she thanked them and ran with her friend to the exit. Indy bade them goodbye and turned to Dualor.

"Now, as for you, Dualor…" Indy blinked when he saw that the Destruction team was gone. "Where are they?"

"Gone, they hauled ass when your backs were turned." Leader-1 laughed. "Oh, you three are so screwed when Nightshade gets here. You should've ran when you had the chance."

"Maybe, but you'll be sharing the pain with us." Indy said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"As far as Nightshade's concerned, you were the only one operating the base's defenses. And from the look on her face, I think she still believes you had control over the weapons systems the whole time she was being fired upon." Leader-1's look of complete terror set Indy's Spark at ease. "I'd say that you're fragged right along with us."

Suddenly the computer was destroyed and the wall smashed in by a large, black raven's head that immediately sought out Leader-1 form among the scattered Minicons. Leader-1 fell back on his haunches and gulped.

"Oh scrap." He said as Nightshade snapped her sharp beak at him.

XXXXXX

Jetfire, Tomahawk and the children stood outside the base as they watched the escape pods launch from the base and away from Luna, flying towards Terra. Centurion sat on Prometheus' shoulder, while the Space team took refuge in Jetfire and Tomahawk's alt modes.

"Those pods will take the Minicons to a preprogrammed destination." Payload said. "We were lucky that you guys were able to hold the Decepticons back long enough for them to gain some distance."

"We're here to get our friends back, and that's exactly what we've accomplished." Annie said. "Not to say that wasn't a doozy though."

"We better get back to Terra," Tomahawk said. "I'm sure Prime would want to know of our success."

"Do you have room for two more?" D-Va appeared in the hole with Sparkplug hanging on her shoulder. Darren blinked, but then smiled.

"We always have room."

XXXXXX

Down in the deserts of Zona Arida, the Destruction Team exited their escape shuttle, still seething from their defeat and losing the fortress they worked so hard to build.

"All those stellar cycles of planning, weaponizing, defending, and they all destroyed in on fragging night!" Dualor yelled. "I should've killed Sparkplug when I had the chance. And Thunder, Rook and Crosswise as well! Those bastards destroyed everything we've built!"

"What do we do now?" Drill Bit asked. He slumped against the shuttle. "We don't have a base or resources and I doubt the other Minicons will be so accepting of us now."

"I don't care what we have to do," Dualor sneered, rage rolling off him in waves. "I'll kill the Autobots, the Decepticons and those traitors! We will annihilate them to the last bot!"

His angry tirade was cut short as a dozen armored vehicles, and mecha tank-type talos suddenly appeared and surrounded the crater. Soldiers exited the vehicles and pointed their guns at the Minicons with the talos. Dualor was ready to signal his team to attack when a large, black and red transport VTOL aircraft hovered to the ground and the landing hatch opened up. A tall, slender human walked out of the aircraft and walked towards the crater, smiling down at the Minicons.

"More humans." Bonesaw grumbled.

Dualor pointed his blaster at the man. "Don't think I won't shoot you, human! We may be weak, but we can still fight!"

"Oh, I don't want to fight, Minicon. I just want to talk."

Dualor narrowed his eyes. "About what?"

"An opportunity," Pieces of the Zodiac grinned. "To get your revenge on our shared enemies."

* * *

 **That was a long chapter to type down, but I hoped you like it! As you can see, the fight never ends. Now the next three chapters will be happening at the same time, but at different viewpoints, similar to those three awesome episodes from Transformers Prime after Flying Mind. The Autobots and Decepticons will be hunting for four stasis panels at the same time, and the battles that ensure will have lasting consequences. Afterwards, i'll be updating Distant Stars. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	26. Underground

Chapter 26-Underground

The mission to Luna was officially over. Optimus waited eagerly for Jetfire, Tomahawk and the children to return to Terra via their ground bridge with the Minicons in tow. Once they got the signal from Jetfire, they summoned a ground bridge in the stratosphere, where the team took the portal and emerged in the Ark's shuttle bay, and were met with the rest of Team Prime. Sparkplug was rushed to the med bay and the Autobots were briefed by Astroscope and his team.

"Thank Primus you're all alright." Arcee breathed. "When we lost contact with you, we thought the worst."

"We were fine, it's just the Minicons up there were better prepared than we thought. They had a fortress built on the dark side of the moon made from what was left of the Exodus." Jetfire said. "Bloody imps armed the place to the teeth."

Optimus knelt down to the Space Team. "Thank you for helping our friends. You've given them a chance in an otherwise dire situation."

"We're happy to help, Prime. But…Indy and some others were still trapped in the base when Nightshade busted through." Astroscope frowned at the thought of the Race team and those few stragglers falling into the Decepticons' clutches. "And I'm sure Breakage and Gunbarrel's teams were captured as well."

"Not to mention those escape pods should've landed by now." Payload said. "Our friends are scattered across the world."

"I can lead the team on a retrieval mission, Prime." Prowl said. "You should focus on the info Astroscope gave us."

"Yes," Optimus nodded. "We must locate the four stasis panels before Megatron's forces have a chance to regroup. Once he learns of this information, he will not waste any time in mobilizing."

XXXXXXX

"Very good, Nightshade." Megatron praised as he glanced at the Minicons trapped in cages. Indy glared right back at him, but didn't say anything to anger the mech who could crush him between his fingers. There were a few others that were stuck with him too, namely Gunbarrel, Terradive and Thunderflame. "You've certainly outdone yourselves, Seekers. Well done."

"Thank you, lord Megatron." Dreadwing said humbly.

"Rumble, Frenzy, take them to the holding cells and outfit them with tags. Don't let any of them out of your sight." Megatron ordered. The cassette twins nodded and took the cage back to the med lab for the operation. With that done, it was time for them to get down to business. "Nightshade, what's the situation with the Autobots?"

"The Autobots have divided their forces to recover the escape pods that were launched from the Luna fortress. Which gives us an opportunity to acquire the four panels the Minicons had located here on Terra." She said. She nodded at Thundercracker, who brought up a map of the seven continents. "I already have the computers searching for the coordinates of these panels as we speak."

"Good, Prime will be splitting up his forces to retrieve both the pods and the panels, thus spreading our opposition thin." Megatron said, grinning. "We must do the same to maintain our advantage."

Knockout, who was standing at the back of the group, cleared his throat and pushed his way to the front. "Lord Megatron, I am ready for such a mission." He said pompously. "Barricade and I have enjoyed previous victories together and in his memory, I plan to do the same."

Megatron scowled and stomped up to Knockout, his bulk dwarfing the medic's modest size as he glared down at the mech. "Need I remind you that this is a mission of great importance, not one of your racing excursions? Act quickly! Operate with a surgeon's skill, do you understand, Knockout?"

Knockout gave a shaky nod. "E-explicitly, my lord."

"Now, seeing as you're vastly outnumbered, I am sending Demolishor with you, along with Rumble and Frenzy for support."

"E-excuse me?" Knockout gaped. He glanced at Rumble, who grinned nastily at him. The shorter mech clapped him on the back with his massive pile driver hand, making Knockout stumble forward.

"Glad to serve alongside ya, pretty boy!" Rumble cackled.

"Yeah, we're gonna make sure the Autobots don't put a dent in that pretty finish of yours!" Frenzy smirked.

"Primus help me." Knockout groaned.

XXXXXX

"We're spreading our forces thin here, Prime." Jetfire said. "Not enough Bots at home base."

"I know, but we don't have a choice. We need the other Minicons retrieved before the Decepticons have the chance to snatch them up." Optimus said.

"If they haven't already." Annie muttered, taking a deep swig of her water.

"With most of our team recovering the escape pods, it's up to us to secure the four panels." Optimus turned to the Autobots and humans present. "We will divide into teams. The first coordinates are in Europa, near the Republic of Elladas in the Attilan Province."

"I know where that is!" Penny and Kevin ran into the room, looking like they just woke up, which they probably have. They rushed to the Ark the first chance they got upon hearing that Tracer was among those taken. "It's an independent nation that split from Elladas in the 1980s after a family of espers took over the area and made it into their own little kingdom."

"Will we met any resistance there?" Rodimus asked. "I heard what happened to Ironhide when he fought an esper and I don't want to become number on their scorecard."

"No, Karaba doesn't bother esper-dominated lands, and Attilan doesn't convene with terrorists, but I'd be careful anyway. Make too much noise and they'll come hunting you with guns and powers."

"Yet another volatile hot spot," Ratchet sighed. "These things are growing every day."

"Well, this just means that you'll have to be flexible, Hot Rod." Moonracer smiled. "We can handle this no problem!"

"Don't get too cocky, Moon," Penny warned. "Attilan is a small province, and their royal army patrols every nook and crany of their territory. The chances of them running into two brawling bots is very high."

"What's your point?" Rodimus asked.

"You're going to need a face man." Kevin said. As their confused looks, he elaborated. "A human who can run interference if you get seen by anyone on site."

"And I can be your guide," Penny chimed in. "My dad took me to Attilan for vacation two years ago, and I know the lay of the land, which is something you definitely need over there."

"Rodimus, Moonracer, take Kevin and Penny to Attilan." Optimus said. "Watch yourselves and each other. The Decepticons could already be at the location."

"You got it, Optimus!" Rodimus saluted. "Come on, guys. Let's roll out!"

Ugh, you have no right to say that, Hot Rod." Moonracer rolled her eyes.

"Stop calling me that!"

XXXXXX

The coordinates of the first panel led the human/Autobot team to a lone beach near Attilan's coastal regions. Kevin and Penny stood on the beach looking out at sea. Far off on the other side of the coast was a small dock near a fishing village. The air was damp and smelled of salty sea water, rough waves crashed against the rocky shore, spraying mist everywhere. Behind them was a large cove that led to a cave at the far end of the lake that emptied out into the sea.

Penny took a deep breath of the cool, morning air and smiled. "I forgot who wonderful the weather was here. Attilan always had the best weather cycles."

"Have you been around this area before?" Moonracer asked.

"Once, when I had an interest in collecting seashells and trying to find old shipwrecks that haven't been found yet." She said and pointed to the mainland. "My dad and I would explore the province for old Elladan temples, and act like we were discovering some ancient ruin or something. Funny thing about that is that we actually did end up finding some undiscovered temples and relics."

Penny almost lost herself in those fond memories-back when her dad actually had time for her and wasn't so consumed with her work. When he would be the one to tuck her in at night and not her aunt. Back then, he encouraged her interest in archaeology and world history, and despite his lack of a presence in her life, she never forgot the influence he had on her future. If only he knew of the adventures she was having now. She shook herself from her reverie and looked at her friends. "I'm sorry, let's start the mission."

Moonracer gave her a little smile and took out her scanner. As soon as she got a read on the panel's signal, she and Rodimus transformed and drove the kids along the perimeter of the cover, returning to robot mode and carrying the children along the slippery rocks once solid ground sunk into the water. Things were peaceful enough, and Kevin and Penny took the time to gaze at the beautiful cove they found themselves in, but they also remained alert. The Decepticons had a decent head start on them and could be waiting to stage an ambush.

After hopping on eroded rocks sticking out of the water, they made it to the cave, which fortunately had solid ground for them to walk on. Rodimus got out of the water and gave the cave a wary look.

"We're not really going in there, are we?" He asked.

"The scanner says the panel is right inside." Kevin said, holding up his little scanner device. He noted the grimace on Rodimus's face. "Don't tell me you're afraid of caves, Hot Rod."

"It's not caves I'm worried about, it's what's inside them. I heard Jazz's horror stories about this planet's animal life." Rodimus said. "And don't call me Hot Rod, damn it!"

"Terra's fauna aren't nearly as bad as Jazz makes it out to be." Moonracer said as she walked past him. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Except for possible Hydras." Penny muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" She smiled innocently.

Rodimus gave her a suspicious glance before ushering the kids in after Moonracer, taking up the rear.

The cave was surprisingly large enough to accommodate the two Autobots, though the walls and ground were wet, with faint dripping audible everywhere they turned. As they got deeper, it got darker, and soon Rodimus had to hand the children flares to light their way so they could see. Kevin could hear his breathing increase slightly, and he looked around at the cave walls.

'They look like ribs.' He thought and glanced up at the stalactites. 'And those are teeth. Crap, I need to stop before I have a panic attack.'

"You doing okay there, Kevin?" Penny asked. "You're looking a bit stressed."

"I'm doing fine. It's…just a bit stuffy in here, that's all." Kevin gave her a grin. "So, um, how far is the panel?"

"Not a clue," Moonracer replied. "I have no idea where the thing is and this place is like a maze."

Soon they came upon a fork in the tunnel. One path looked even more dark and wet, while the other was mostly dry and had tiny pieces of minerals sprouting from the walls.

"Which way now?" Kevin asked.

They got their answer in the form of a faint, echoing high pitched screech sounding throughout the cave. Rodimus and Moonracer tuned their audio receptors to hear the sound properly.

"What is that?" Penny asked. "An animal?"

"No animal on Terra can make a sound like that." Kevin said. And he knew that, he watched a lot of National Geographic as a kid.

"That's no animal," Moonracer said. "That's a machine…a driller!"

"Decepticons!" Rodimus grinned and transformed to car mode. "Let's get moving, Moon."

"Whoa there, Roddy, let's not jump into the frying pan head first, okay?" Kevin said. "We don't even know where they are. The echoes are throwing my sense of direction off."

Penny hummed. "Maybe we should split up."

"Huh? No way, that's too risky." Moonracer said, but the dry look Penny gave her made her pout.

"We don't have a choice, Moonracer. We need to find the Cons before they high tail it with the panel." She said, and smiled. "Don't worry, Kevin and I can take care of ourselves. We came prepared."

"I don't think a crossbow and arrows are gonna scare the Cons off, Penny." Rodimus pointed out.

"You haven't seen them in action." She smirked. "Let's go, Kevin. We're moving."

Penny was already walking down the dark left path, with Kevin chasing after her, giving the Autobots a 'What can I do?' shrug. Rodimus and Moonracer traded glances.

"I'm not getting in trouble if they get hurt." He told her.

"They're smart kids, Rodi. They know when to run when things get hot." She said and walked down the right path. Rodimus shook his head and followed her, hoping this didn't come back to bite them in the aft.

XXXXXXX

Kevin and Penny walked through the large tunnel by themselves, trying to follow the faint echo that sounded a little quieter now. Kevin was now starting to regret going it alone with Penny. Was it just him or did the cave feel smaller?

"I think we went down the wrong tunnel." He finally said.

"No, we didn't. I explored these caves with dad as a little girl and I remember every nook and crany of this cave." Penny said, then something caught her eye. "Oh, that's new!"

Kevin shook his head as she ran over a plucked a piece of hephaestium from the ground. Penny took out a laser scalpel (given to her by Rollbar, for recreational purposes only) and sawed off a large fragment to put in her bag.

"We're not on a scavenger hunt, Penny."

"I know, but it's rude to pass up free hephaestium. Have you've seen the prices for these in Dust shops? It's highway robbery!" She bagged the crystal and turned to Kevin with a big smile, which turned into a frown as she noticed his…jittery state. "Kevin…you don't look so good."

"Just a little on edge. I…don't like going into dark places like this." Kevin admitted, taking deep breaths to keep the tiny flame in his hand from turning into an inferno.

"Kevin," Penny slowly walked up to him. "Are you…claustrophobic?"

Kevin didn't want to say it, but Penny knew she hit the nail on the head. The normally confident esper glanced away at the moist cave walls, looking ashamed. "A little, I just have a slight aversion to being in caves or just underground in general." He said. "Why do you think I don't go on those hiking trips of yours?"

"Oh Kevin, if you were claustrophobic, why didn't you say anything?" Penny frowned, giving him that all too familiar scolding look he was used to. "I wouldn't have dragged you in here if it affected you that much."

"But you wanted to go, and I just couldn't let you go it alone with the Bots. And…I didn't want you being held back by me." Kevin replied. "I told you, it's not serious. I can handle it."

"Your health is more important than what I want, Kevin. Don't give yourself a panic attack just to please me." She took his hand in hers. "That's worse than holding me back."

Kevin smiled. "You make me sound like a try-hard boyfriend."

"Of course you are!" Penny giggled. A second later, a blush formed on her face. "A try hard, I mean. Not the boyfriend part. Just to be clear. Um," Penny bit her lip and marched down the tunnel. "L-let's go! We have work to do!"

Kevin smiled and followed her, now feeling slightly more at ease. They walked for a few more minutes, before they heard the loud splashes of another set of feet further down the tunnel…which were getting louder.

"I thought you said people rarely come down here!" Kevin whispered.

"I said rarely, not never." Penny hissed.

"Get behind me."

Kevin got in front of Penny and coated his arm in bright orange flames, pressing his back against the wet wall. He edged himself closer to the corner at the end of the tunnel and quickly jumped out just as a red-haired woman did the same on the other side, pointing a gun at him. It was only thanks to their initial shock that no one got hurt.

"Agent Keller?" Kevin blinked. The woman, Cole Keller, stared at Kevin in shock.

"You're one of those kids from the forest." She whispered.

Then Agent Rebecca Howard appeared around the corner with Agent Sean McCurie, and things went downhill from there.

XXXXXX

Knockout tapped his foot on the wet ground impatiently, waiting for his "partner" to hurry up. Demolishor was in his tank mode outfitted with drilling equipment to burrow into the wall of the cave. Rumble and Frenzy were somewhere else in the cave doing Primus knows what. Ever since Soundwave went MIA, the twins were rowdier than usual. Knockout hoped they put him out of his misery and fell down a very deep pit or something.

"Could you hurry up already?" Knockout grumbled. "I'm tired of standing around in this god forsaken dump. The salty air is tarnishing my undercarriage."

Demolishor stopped drilling and rotated his upper half to face Knockout. "I'm not your slave, Knockout, and listening to you complain is the last thing I need right now."

"What, are you going to cry like a protoforms? At least Barricade took my ribbing with some dignity." Knockout huffed.

"Why don't you drill if you think you can do a better job?"

"I would, but my finely sculpted hands aren't as large and brutish as yours!"

Hidden behind a group of stalactites, Rodimus and Moonracer watched the two arguing Cons in silence. Rodimus charged up his arm pipes and took aim at Demolishor, but Moonracer placed a hand on his arm, shaking her head and motioning for him to wait.

"What for? The panel isn't out yet." He said quietly.

"Yeah, so we let them dig it out for us. Then we attack." She replied and rested her sniper rifle on the rocks. "Sniper 101: Wait for the target to come to you, not the other way around."

Rodimus wisely kept his doubts to himself. Moonracer spent most of her second life under the tutelage of Elita-1's Valkyrie squad. They made her already superb shooting skills downright dangerous and forged the femme into a tiny tank of terror. Moonracer acted like a human teenage girl most of the time, but in battle, her lessons in warfare and combat came to the forefront and she was a totally different person. It was a bit creepy at how she could just switch mindsets on a dime, but war changed people like that, making even the sweetest bot into a war machine.

After another minute of insulting each other's configurations (or in Knockout's case; insulting his partner's lack of a spouse), Demolishor finally got back to work, drilling a few more inches into the rock. Fortunately for both of them, he didn't have to drill any farther, because the scanner Knockout held began beeping rapidly.

"Stop!" Knockout said. "We found it!"

Demolishor transformed and looked inside the hole he made. Deep side the wall, the still dormant panel was resting inside a tiny cubby of stone where it lay untouched for millions of years. Knockout pushed Demolishor aside and grinned at their quarry.

"Glorious." Knockout reached inside and tried to pull it out, only to find that it was stuck tight. He grunted as he tried using his legs as leverage to push against the rock to free the panel, but it didn't even budge. "Don't try to fight it, you little bastard! Just let go!"

Demolishor shook his head at the pitiful sight. "Do you want me to-"

"No! This is my prize!" He yelled. "It's mine to take!"

"Whatever you say."

Moonracer winked at Rodimus and pointed her rifle at the two Cons. Plugging two wires from her rifle into the back of her head, she linked her laser scope to her optic sensors, maximizing her accuracy drastically. It might not be much, but it added to her already prodigal skill. She lined up her aim with Knockout's arms, planning to shoot both arms off in one shot. Just as her finger pulled the trigger, Rodimus yanked her back.

"Hey, what's the-" She saw the rock she was resting on get pulverized by Rumble from a pile-driver dive on her position. Frenzy also fell on them, shoving his drill hands at the red mech's head, but Rodimus kicked him aside.

"There goes out element of surprise." Rodimus said. "I got the terrible twos. You go-"

"I know!" Moonracer grabbed her rifle and ran for the Cons, who were already pointing their weapons at her.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot her!" Knockout yelled.

Demolishor fired multiple pulse blasts from his cannon fingers. Moonracer weaved through the majority of them, getting a few hits on her arms and shoulders. She slid across the ground on her knees and fired her rifle at his elbow, causing him to stumble back in pain. Demolishor swung his large fist and punched her into the wall, but she fired an explosive round into his face, engulfing his head in a quick fiery burst that made him stagger back. Moonracer shifted her rifle into its scythe mode and slashed him across the chest, leaving a deep gash in his chest plate. She spun around for a follow up attack, but a sharp pain in her right arm sent her to the ground. Knockout stalked towards her, his right hand a spinning saw.

"You have wonderful features, my dear," He said flamboyantly. "But perhaps you'd be interested in a make-over? A little enhancement, perhaps?"

He swung his saw blade at her, but she rolled to the side and punched him in the jaw. Knockout barely avoided her scythe as it fell on him, and hissed as a piece of his arm kibble was sliced off.

"Sorry, I don't do surgery." Moonracer smirked. "I'm naturalistic."

"Shame. I would've loved to open you up to see if you were just as beautiful on the inside." He growled.

"Not on a first date!"

Moonracer leapt at Knockout and spun her weapon around her body. Knockout slashed at her, but only managed to land a thin cut on her thigh before he found the barrel of her rifle in his face. He was able to move his head just enough avoid the bullet that sailed over his shoulder. She slammed her knee into his face and bashed his cranium with the barrel of her rifle, sending him to the ground.

Rodimus was having his own share of the fun with the twins. He grunted as a sonic scream from Frenzy hit him like a solid punch from Ultra Magnus, blasting him into a rock formation. Rumble leapt at him with the intent of smashing his head between his claws, but Rodimus ducked so the abnormally strong mech smashed through the stone pillar behind him instead. It collapsed, causing large rocks to fall on them. Rumble was nearly hit by a falling boulder, and Rodimus fired an electroblast from his arm pipes into Rumble's chest, sending him crashing into the rubble.

"And stay down!" He yelled. Then he felt an intense pain in his right leg. "Ow!"

He saw Frenzy digging into his leg with one of his drills. Frenzy grinned up at him and released a close range scream that blew Rodimus off his feet and into the stalactites on the ceiling before he hit the ground.

"I hate these little slagheaps." Rodimus grumbled, trying to shake the ringing from his head.

Moonracer stepped over a dazed Knockout and over to the hole with the panel inside. She reached in to grab it, but the panel was just out of her reach. Her arms were just too short to get a solid hold on it. "Come on, I thought I grew taller when I was resurrected!" She whined.

A surprise volley of laser blasts caught her in the side and knocked her to the ground, bits of armor flying off her form. Demolishor stomped towards her, looking very pissed off.

"That Minicon is Decepticon property, Autobot," He growled. "Stand aside or be reduced to slag."

XXXXXX

Penny had no idea what was going on, but she knew it had Kevin on edge. He was already stressed out from being in the cave and now they ran into some humans near a cybertronian hot zone that apparently knew him.

"What are three secret agents doing in down here?" Kevin asked, not dousing the flames on his arms.

"That's a question we should be asking." Cole said, finger near, but not on, the trigger. She didn't like pulling a gun on a child, but she was dealing with an esper with an elemental power, which were usually one of the most dangerous. And said esper being one of the kids Skywatch had wrongfully detained made things only more volatile. "What you kids doing down this deep in the caves?"

"Exploring, duh." Penny frowned. She kept her eye on the other agent and the one with the glasses. She watched enough government documentaries on TV to know not to let her guard down just because they looked calm and level-headed. "This place is a pretty sweet vacation spot if you didn't know."

"That's a pretty shallow explanation for you two being here without adult supervision." Sean said dryly. He was tensed for any surprise attacks, but he didn't reach for his weapon so far.

"The same goes for you and your slave master." Kevin replied. "Now where's your boss, Frederick? I'm sure that pointy bastard isn't far behind."

"He's dead," Cole said, her face showing not the slightest bit of remorse. "Your alien buddies killed him and a lot of other people, too. Good people."

"Soundwave isn't out buddy!" Kevin growled, then realized his mistake. "Shit!"

"You know its name?" Rebecca whispered, slowly stepping forward. "You know more about them than you let on-about the aliens hiding on Terra."

Kevin wanted to dent it, call her crazy, but she was already aware that he was hiding the truth. Not to mention she knew about the cybertronian war to some extent. This was a worst case scenario. "It would seem you know about them too."

"You have no idea." Sean chuckled. Cole sent him a look to shut up.

"All right, what the hell is going on?" Penny glared at the adults. "Kevin, who are these guys and how do you know them?"

"These are the government agents that snagged Darren's group along with me after we stumbled onto their front lawn, which was poorly concealed by the way," Kevin glared at Cole. "Your boss threatened us if we didn't tell about these so-called NBEs."

"Fredericks was one of our loser cannons in our organization who let his status go beyond mission parameters. I assure you, not all of us are like that." Rebecca said.

"Tell that to Simmons." Sean muttered.

"Who's us?" Kevin asked.

"That's classified." Cole said. "What do you know about the NBEs?"

"That's classified." Penny replied, grinning at Cole's scowl.

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Rebecca sighed and signaled Cole to lower her gun. "Let's try this approach. My name is Rebecca Howard, xenobiologist of the government affiliated black ops agency called Skywatch. These are my close associates, Agent Cole Keller and Sean McCourie."

"Whoa, doc!"

"Howard, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Cole hissed. "Don't spit out our secrets to civilians!"

"They clearly know more about the NBEs that we do, Cole. A lot more." She said. "I can't tell you everything, but I can say that we came here investigating possible signs of alien activity in the area, namely sightings of NBEs fighting. We didn't expect to find much, but us meeting was a little quirk of fate."

Kevin and Penny weren't expecting her to suddenly blurt out her identity or her reasons for coming here. She threw them off with her brutal honesty, and they knew that she was making a huge gamble telling them this, and her words seemed sincere enough for Kevin to lower his guard a bit.

"I'm not asking you as an agent of some government agency, but as a scientist trying to stop more lives from being lost to these beings." Rebecca pleaded. "What is your connection to these aliens? Are they here to invade Terra, or is there something more that we're missing? What are we dealing with here?"

Kevin stared hard at her; the shadows caused by his flames cloaking half his face in darkness, making him seem like a dark statue poised to strike at an unseen enemy. Seeing that Howard was appealing to him for a peaceful resolution, he doused the flames on his arm. He wouldn't attack tem, but he wasn't going to just up and betray the Autobots like that.

"I won't sell out my friends, but I can tell you that if you really do know about these so-called NBEs, just know that not all of them are bad." He told them. "Don't trust everything you see until you know all the facts."

"What the hell does that mean?" Cole asked. "Come on, kid, just give us a straight answer."

"That's all you're getting from me. Make of it as you will."

Rebecca wanted to ask more, about the other children he saw before, the aliens, and how they know about them. And if they had any robotic aliens in their custody were the ones he was referring to. But that never came to pass as the cave rumbled, causing some rocks to fall on them.

"What's going on?" Sean asked.

"No idea, but I don't think it's good." Cole said, drawing her gun again.

The cave wall to their right suddenly exploded, sending large rocks flying at them. Kevin and Penny jumped back to avoid the worst of it, but Cole had a sharp stone hit her right shoulder as she dived to the ground. Sean and Rebecca pulled her to safety from the chaos. The scientist looked up and gaped at the magnificent sight before her.

Rodimus and Demolishor were fighting in the water, their punches echoing like thunder that made the humans' teeth rattle. Kevin and Penny scrambled back towards the others when Rodimus took a punch to the chin and crashed back to the opposing wall. Rebecca and Sean watched the battle with awestruck gazes.

"Those are a lot bigger than the ones we've seen." Sean muttered,

"I take it those are the bad aliens you hinted at?" Rebecca asked Kevin.

"See those symbols on their bodies? Red is friendly, purple is-move!" Kevin pushed her out of the way as a large red arm punched the spot they were just in. The Decepticon Knockout grinned at the humans as he stomped towards them.

"Looks like I missed," He said, shifting his right hand into a drill. "A damn shame for you little ones."

Sean fired his gun, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off Knockout's metal skin. The medic looked anything but impressed at the weak defense. "Really, just shoot bullets at someone made of metal. You'd have a better chance at fighting a tank with your bare hands."

His mirth was cut short when a rocket hit him in the face, swallowing his head in a small explosion. The others turned to see Cole limping towards them, blood leaking from a cut on her temple. She was carrying a smoking rocket launcher on her unwounded shoulder.

"How's that you stupid tin can!" She snarled.

"You little animal!" Knockout shoved his drill arm at the humans, but Moonracer barreled into him, and they both crashed to the ground.

"Kevin, Penny, get the panel!" Moonracer shouted. "It's somewhere in here!"

"Where?" Penny asked.

"In the water!"

"That's helpful." Penny grumbled and looked at the water flooding in. It was shallow enough to actually see through, but no panel was anywhere near them.

"Hold up, you know that thing?" Sean asked, surprised. He really wasn't expecting this when he woke up in the morning.

"Not now, Sean, we've got other problems." Cole pointed at the 11 foot tall twins that were stalking towards them with sadistic grins on their faces.

"Look at that, bro. Two Autobrats and those little flesh bags from that base we torched." Frenzy said.

"Didn't we kill 'em all?" Rumble asked.

"Thought we did, but I guess we missed some." Frenzy gnashed his drills together, generating orange sparks that eerily reflected off his face. "Let's fix that."

XXXXXXX

"Have a drink!" Rodimus shoved Demolishor's head into a deep pool and held it there. Seeing as they couldn't breath, the action was entirely useless on the Con, but for Rodimus, it was just adding injury to insult.

Demolishor flailed his arms, but Rodimus was practically sitting on his back and he had no leverage. Going by touch alone, he grabbed a handful of wet dirt and threw it into the mech's face, making him jerk back in surprise. Demolishor pushed off the ground and threw the Autobot off him, transforming in one smooth movement.

"That was a dirty trick." Rodimus growled, wiping the mud from his eyes.

"We invented the concept, you pencil pushing poser!" Demolishor fired four pulse blasts from his cannons, forcing Rodimus to take cover.

"You must have me mixed up with Prowl!" Rodimus waited for a lull in Demolishor's assault, and charged at him. Rodimus took a few hits to his arms and chest, but he didn't slow down in his charge. Grabbing hold of the transformed Con, Rodimus showed Demolishor exactly why he was nicknamed "Hot Rod".

Superheating his frame to the point of causing the air around him to combust, Rodimus engulfed Demolishor in a huge burst of flames like a walking methane explosion. The Con screamed as he was bathed in intense flames that slightly melted his armor and tried to drive away, but Rodimus held onto him fast. Rodimus kept this up until Demolishor finally transformed to robot mode and pushed him away. Every circuit and pain receptor in his body screamed in agony and Demolishor passed out from the pain of his burns, falling over. Rodimus fell to his knees, panting to cool his systems.

"Stay crispy, Demolishor." Rodimus laughed weakly and fell onto his back.

XXXXXX

Rebecca never thought that, in all her years of working for Skywatch that she'd be seeing real aliens, general relatives of the Ice Man found so long ago. Their power was tremendous, a far cry from the animalistic mechanoids Agent Red's group had acquired from Mount Kalahai. But what amazed her even more was how these middle school students were fighting off the smaller robots that were a part of the massacre at their regional base.

Kevin would attack with wide reaching bursts of flame to drive them off. Penny fired her arsenal of surprisingly effective crossbow bolts tipped with explosive materials that tore holes in the Cons' armor. Rumble especially took the brunt of Penny's attacks on his chest and face.

"This is stupid! These brats shouldn't be able to fight us!" Rumble growled. "They weren't this hard to kill before!"

"Maybe you shoulder sing to them," Frenzy quipped. "Primus knows your voice can raise the dead. Maybe it can do the opposite."

Rumble gave him an obscene hand gesture. "Go frag yourse-gah!" He was hit in the chest by another rocket and fell into the water. Cole wiped the blood from her eyes and spat at him.

"That was for my friends you asshole!" Cole hissed.

"Bro! You little bitch!" Frenzy released his sonic scream at Cole. Sean pushed her down so that the sonic wave flew over them and into the wall, smashing through the thick rock with deadly precision. Cole grunted as she hit her elbow on something.

"Ow! What the…hell?" Cole glanced down on what she fell on and saw a strange blue and green hexagonal panel. It was the stasis panel that was dislodged when Rodimus and Demolishor crashed through the tunnel walls. Penny saw her pick it up and ran over to her.

"You found it!" Penny exclaimed.

"Found what?" Cole asked. She jumped when Penny snatched the panel from her. "Hey!"

"Don't touch things that don't belong to you!" penny scolded. Suddenly Kevin crashed into the water next to them. "Kevin!"

"Ugh," Kevin groaned. He had a bloodied gash on his forehead. Rebecca quickly looked him over, getting some badnages to fix the wound.

"He's alright, but he has a nasty bump on this noggin." Sean said. "We need to get him out of here."

"You filthy bloodbags aren't going anywhere! Frenzy snarled, pointing a blaster at them. Sean and Cole aimed their own guns at him, prompting a laugh from the red minibot. "Like your little peashooters can do any damage to me."

"Then how about this?"

Frenzy only had time to see Moonracer pointing her rifle at him, and could do nothing as she fired a blast that swallowed his body and sent him flying a few feet away, hitting the wet, soggy ground as a smoking wreck.

"You guys okay?" Moonracer asked the humans. Rebecca simply stared at her in awe. Sean and Cole held their weapons tightly, not attacking her, but not really letting their guard down. Penny brushed past them and smiled up at her.

"We're find, Moon. Just wet and a little banged up." She said.

Not too far from them, Knockout lifted himself out of the muddy pool he fell into when Moonracer knocked him out with his own energon prod. He spat out a clump of mud and growled at the femme's back. No one, and he meant no one, messed up his finish and lived to see the sunrise! He was going to make that brat wish she never saw his cleanly polished face. Shifting his hands into his lethal medical tools, Knockout prepared to charge at her when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"What?" Knockout turned around to face a grinning Rodimus.

"Howdy." Rodimus greeted and punched Knockout's lights out.

XXXXXX

A few minutes later, the two Autobots escorted the weary humans out of the cave and back into the cove, out into the fresh afternoon air. Rebecca banaged Kevin's head wound while Sean and Cole addressed the Autobots.

"I don't believe it. There really are more of you on Terra." Cole muttered. "Looks like Simmons really wasn't talking out of his ass."

"So, little girl, you going to tell us what that thing is all about?" Sean asked, nodding at the panel in Penny's arms. "Must be pretty important if you guys re brawling for it."

"That's none of your business, tiny." Rodimus crossed his arms. Cole bristled.

"Listen you wind up reject, don't think that you can just walk all over us because you're made of metal. By rights, we should take you into Skywatch custody-"

"Keller, that's enough." Said Rebecca as she and Kevin walked up to them. "These aliens have us outgunned and we can't do a damn thing if we wanted to. And the fact remains that you did save `our lives."

"So what now?" Kevin asked, rubbing his throbbing forehead. "You gonna try to arrest us or something?"

"No," Rebecca said, before Cole could reply." Aside from angering your robotic friends, I don't want to introduce you to our world of espionage. The last thing I need is for the members of our organization who think that working without congressional approval means abandoning our morals to learn about you kids. But please, tell me…what are you?"

The Autobots glanced at each other before Moonracer spoke. "We're Autobots. Soldiers without a home fighting to protect yours."

They shifted to their vehicle modes, further surprising the three agents, and took in Kevin and Penny before driving off down the coastline, leaving the Skywatch agents at the cove.

"Autobots," Rebecca whispered, still processing what they experienced today.

"Howard, we need to report this." Cole said. "We've made contact with warring NBEs, proper contact this time."

"Peaceful contact, I might add." Sean added. "Imagine what the top brass will say about this."

"I imagine that despite what we learned today, that there are some peaceful aliens on our world, Powers and Simmons will probably ignore it in favor of destroying them all and worsening the situation."

"Howard, Powers won't just…" Cole trailed off when the normally docile woman glared at her.

"No. That man will make enemies where there aren't any on the basis of just "being sure". Paranoia makes people do stupid things, Cole. Why should Skywatch be any different?"

And there was still the matter of the mechanoids they dug up from the volcano and Europa. If that boy was telling the truth, then they may have invited a Trojan horse right through their front gates.

* * *

 **Here's another chapter for ya. Now, there are these questions from a guest reviewer about some concerns that I want to put to rest, so i'll answer them here: No, the humans and Autobots won't be gary/mary stus and certainly not Darren, you'll see soon that no one's invincible in Titan. No, there will not be an arc about the beast formers, I can't truly answer the third one to avoid spoilers, but let's just say an animal is dangerous when cornered. And the last question I can't answer because spoilers as well. Guests, I can't answer any questions directly if I can PM you or something like that. It's easier to chat through PMs to avoid cluttering the end of the chapter like this.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading the chapter, and remember to review and fav/follow!**


	27. The Last Knight

Chapter 27-The Last Knight

Megatron looked at the coordinates shown on the map on the holo-display of Terra's atlas. After sending Knockout's team off to retrieve the first panel from Attilan, he worked on locating coordinates of the second panel, which was located near Britannia.

"The second panel is located within the territory of the so-called Britannia Empire, just a few miles from the mainland." Megatron said and turned to Dreadwing. "From what I've heard, this nation was once the home of powerful warriors with equally powerful weapons that made them kings."

"I will fight an army of these supposed warriors to complete my mission." Dreadwing vowed.

"Yes, yes, I know. But I was referring to what other secrets this land holds. There may be a powerful weapon made by those accursed dolems to bestow upon the ancient humans. During your search for the panel, be sure to keep a sharp eye out for anything out of the ordinary. The dolems like to hide their treasures in plain sight."

"Yes, my lord." Dreadwing bowed his head. "I will not fail you."

"See to it that you don't," Megatron firmly said. "I have already been disappointed enough as it is."

XXXXXX

At the same time, another Autobot team was being sent out to another location.

"Stay safe, Bulkhead, and watch out for Annie." Optimus warned his subordinate.

"Don't worry, Optimus. The Cons won't expect two heavy hitters charging at them." Bulkhead fist bumped Enyo and they ran into the ground bridge. Once they were gone, Optimus turned to Flashpoint.

"Flashpoint, you're up for the third coordinates." He said, surprising her.

"Me? Optimus, I'm not exactly combat ready. My place is in the medical lab with Ratchet." Flashpoint said.

"We need all hands on deck for this, Flashpoint. But worry not, you will have Jetfire for support."

Flashpoint glanced at Jetfire, who gave her a wink (which looked awkward with his singular visor instead of two separate eyes). "Wonderful."

As she prepared for her mission, Optimus turned to Sunstreaker, who was itching to roll out. "Are we ready to go, Prime? I'm ready to tear some Con tailpipe!"

"In a moment, Sunstreaker, we must wait for the other two members of our team." Optimus looked over at Darren and Gina, who were powering up their talos. "I'm sorry to drag you both onto another mission so soon after getting back, but we don't have time to wait for the others to return. Are you two up for another mission?"

"We're ready, Optimus." Darren said. "Just give the word."

Sunstreaker gaped at the two talos, and then turned to Optimus. "P-Prime, you're not really going to bring two humans along with us."

"I am, Sunstreaker. Is that a problem?"

'Of course it is!' Sunstreaker wanted to say. These humans had no business sticking their nose in a cybertronian war. Their war. He didn't want a bunch of fleshies getting in the way of an already difficult mission. But like any good soldier, he knew when not to voice his grievances in a time of urgency. Instead, he replied, "No problem at all, Optimus. Just making sure."

Optimus nodded and faced his team. "We move out immediately. We have a lot of ground to cover and every second counts."

Ratchet changed the coordinates for the ground bridge and Prime's team raced into the portal, vanishing into the swirling green vortex.

XXXXXX

It was early morning in Engalia of the Britannia Empire, and the human/Autobot team ground bridged to a remote part of the country's eastern coastal region. The sun had yet to rise, but the dark blue sky was already showing the first signs of morning. All was quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the heavy footsteps of the giant mechanoids. Gina took a moment to take in the scenery and smiled.

"What a beautiful place." Gina breathed. "Dad never took me to Engalia before, so this is all new to me."

"I need to take some pictures." Darren said. "I'm sure Debbie's gonna love this view."

"Yo, tiny," Sunstreaker called out. "This ain't a vacation. Stow the chatter and move it!"

"You're one to talk about chatter!" Darren yelled back and leaned back in his seat. "I really hate that guy."

"Don't let him get to you, Darren. Just ignore him and focus on the mission." Gina said.

They moved their talos down the slope onto the beach where Optimus and Sunstreaker were waiting with Sara.

"We don't have a second to lose before the Decepticons find our location." Optimus looked down at the emerald haired android. "Sara, are you capable of finding an inactive stasis panel in the area?"

"I have downloaded the general area of the panel, but finding its exact location will be slightly difficult." Sara told them. "We must head further inland and…" She trailed off and looked at the sky towards the horizon.

"And what?" Sunstreaker asked, and rolled his eyes. With an annoyed sigh, he crossed his arms. "Great, I think your toy robot is broken, blondie."

"She's not broken, genius, she's detecting something." Gina said and checked her radar. "Sara, what's wrong?"

"Enemy approaching from the south." Sara pointed at the ocean. "ETA, five seconds."

Sara's enhanced optical vision allowed her to filter the sunlight heading rights towards them. Dreadwing caught sight of them and opened fire on his targets. The Autobots and talos returned fire on the Seekers, forcing them to split apart to avoid Prime's devastating ion blasts and the talos' beam blasts.

Thundercracker and Skywarp released two cruise missiles each, guiding them towards their enemies. Optimus and Sunstreaker scattered as they hit the beach, kicking up clouds of sand and smoke. Darren and Gina shot down the other two missiles out of the sky, but one got past Prometheus's particle field and hit it in the shoulder. It hit the ground, a smoking hole in its shoulder joint, but its armor managed to take the brunt of the detonation.

"We're too open on the beach. They're picking us off!" Darren said after he recovered from being thrown around in his seat.

"We can fly up and take them on." Gina said. "I can-"

"No, Gina, you two need to conserve your energy. Neither of you are skilled enough to fight the Seekers in the air." Optimus said, shooting a blast at Skyquake when he got to close.

"So what do we do?" Sunstreaker asked.

"We'll split up in pairs and rendezvous at the panel's location. Everyone, head into the forest!" Prime yelled.

Dreadwing and Skyquake flew over the beach and dropped their payload of cluster bombs over the area, leaving a trail of explosions blossoming on the once calm shores. They missed their targets, and the Autobots used the cover of smoke to climb back up the cliff and ran into the nearby forest, disappearing into the trees.

"They're making a run for it!" Skywarp said.

"Then follow them!" Dreadwing yelled. "Don't let them anywhere near that panel!"

The seekers split up into pairs, Thundercracker with Skywarp, and Dreadwing with Skyquake. Thundercracker and Skywarp pursued Optimus and Sunstreaker, firing their auto-cannons at the ground. The two Autobots were in vehicle mode, swerving around the trees that were being shredded apart by the lethal laser rounds. When Thundercracker started landing some hits on Sunstreaker, the yellow Autobot had enough and spun around, firing three missiles from a launcher extending from his front hood.

Thundercracker skillfully ducked under the missiles by switching to robot mode and landing on the ground, digging his feet in the dirt. Before Sunstreaker could have a chance to transform, Thundercracker raised his arms and clapped his hands, generating a powerful sonic boom that tore through the forest like lightning and blasted Sunstreaker off his feet. Sunstreaker crashed through a tree before transforming and swinging on a branch, throwing himself at Thundercracker. He slammed into the blue Seeker and punched him in the nose a couple of times before firing his rifle in his chest. They hit the ground and Sunstreaker kicked him off, sending him smashing into a small tree and uprooting it.

"Ha! Did you see that, Optimus!" Sunstreaker whooped. "That was smoother than Jazz's dance moves!"

"Focus on the mission, Sunstreaker, we need to keep moving!" Optimus said. Skywarp appeared above him in a dive, but he jumped back and leapt up, spin-kicking the outlier in the nose of his jet form and sending the purple Seeker spinning into the ground. Optimus raised his ion cannon, but a large object slammed into him from the side-Sunstreaker. The two Autobots hit a tree in a tangled mess as Thundercracker boost jumped over to Skywarp. Optimus pushed Sunstreaker off him and looked over at the Seekers.

"Keep up the pressure!" Thundercracker said, clapping his hands and releasing another sonic boom that hit Optimus like a rogue wave, knocking him into the tree again and cracking the windshields on his chest. "Don't let them recover!"

"I know that, nimrod. Don't tell me how to do my job!" Skywarp fired his cannons at Optimus, forcing him to take cover behind a tree. That was when Skywarp noticed something. "Wait, where's the yellow one?"

Sunstreaker pounced on the Cons from above, shooting Skywarp in the face with a low-burst plasma blast that blinded him long enough for Optimus to hit him in the chest with an ion blast. Thundercracker swung his bayonets at Sunstreaker, but the Autobot grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder into the ground. A hard knee to the face knocked Thundercracker's lights out, putting him out of the fight.

"I'm gold, not yellow frag head." Sunstreaker grinned.

XXXXXX

Darren and Gina flew their talos through the forest, dodging a hail of laser fire from the Seeker twins chasing them. The forest around them was being torn apart from the nonstop fire of their autocannons that could rip a tank or regular talos to pieces. The kids' own talos had E-carbon armor that could take a few direct hits, but not at the rate of fire coming at them. Fortunately, the trees restricted the brothers' aerial maneuvering, and missiles were out of the question thanks to the high mobility of the talos in question.

"Blast it all!" Skyquake grunted as he was forced to tilt to the side to avoid the beam Gina fired at him. The blast was dangerously close to his wing and the superheated particles singed the armor there. "Dreadwing, we're not going to get them like this!"

"Then we try another tactic." Dreadwing said. "We split up and close in on them from both ends."

"Sara, how close are we to the coordinates?" Gina asked, since she was busy weaving through the trees to look at her monitor.

"Just another mile or two." Sara answered, holding tight onto Athena's armored shoulder." She glanced behind them to look at the Seekers on their tail and saw that they had broken off the chase. "The Decepticons are gone."

"What?" Darren switched his talos to manual mode and landed on the ground, forcing Gina to do the same.

"Darren, we have to keep moving. The Cons will beat us to the panel if we stop."

"No, Dreadwing's the type of mech who could take out the competition first before going for the prize." Darren kept his eyes peeled, not looking away from the video monitors for anything. "They're probably going to try a different hunting tact-"

As laser blast hit Athena in the side and sent it crashing into a tree. Darren cursed and boosted, but the large form of Dreadwing jumped down on his back, grabbing Prometheus and pinning the talos to the ground. Gina brought up her pulse cannons, but a few missiles from Skyquake diverted her aim and sent her down again.

"Filthy human," Dreadwing growled, holding Prometheus's arms to the ground and glaring right into its eyes. "Did you really think you could last against two seasoned warriors?"

"I don't know," Darren grunted. "Ask Lugnut. I hear he's feeling a bit holey these days."

Dreadwing growled and picked the talos up, slamming it through three trees before throwing it to the ground. Darren winced at the violent movements he was experiencing and moved to draw his beam saber. But Dreadwing was faster, drawing his own foldable sword and swiftly severing Prometheus's right arm in one quick movement.

"How did…?" Darren gaped.

"I am a Decepticon," Dreadwing said, kicking the talos in the chest hard enough to nearly throw Darren from his seat. "A human has no place on the battlefield, especially a child!"

Dreadwing raised his sword to impale Prometheus through its cockpit, but Sara flew in from above, firing his palm blasters. Her attacks did little in damage, only serving to anger the Seeker. Dreadwing swung his sword at her, but she angled her body to avoid the sharp blade, a few strands of hair being lost as she passed over it. Dreadwing prepared to stab her, but Skyquake's large body hit him from behind and sent him to the ground.

"Darren!" Gina appeared in her talos, gliding over to her boyfriend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not hurt, but my talos is missing an arm." Darren said, taking a deep breath to calm his headache.

"Can you move?" Sara asked.

"Yeah." He said.

"Good. We must continue forward. The coordinates are not too far from our current position." Sara jumped onto Athena as Prometheus slowly stood up and followed its partner into the forest.

Dreadwing pushed his brother off and glared at the retreating talos. "You won't get far, humans."

Darren and Gina flew as fast as they could without crashing into any trees. Darren checked his rear camera view and saw that they weren't being followed. "They aren't chasing us?"

"Keep your eye on the prize." Gina said, keeping an eye on her talos' power levels. Athena only had a few minutes to recharge its Apollo reactor, so she didn't have to worry too much about power right now, but they couldn't fight prolonged battles like this. "This Con knows what he's doing and-jinkies!"

Two trees in front of Gina exploded, the blast wave knocking Athena back into Prometheus. More trees exploded around them, rattling the forest as plumes of flames blossomed into an inferno, courtesy of the bombs Dreadwing planted on them. Gina covered Sara in her mecha's hands as she and Darren glided through the flames, trying to outrun the detonations peppering the forest. It was fortunate that they were already close to their destination-a large lake with a massive castle sitting on a swath of land just a few feet from the shore.

"We're almost there, keep flying!" Darren yelled.

They made it out of the forest and into the clearing when the ground under them blew up, throwing their talos off balance. Darren and Gina cried out in alarm as they hit the ground and rolled across the grass and dirt. Sara was just barely able to hang on.

Just as they got their bearings, the entire clearing went up in a mighty ball of fire as a blue and purple jet flew over them, dropping a rain of nearly two dozen cluster bombs on the lakeside. Animals for miles would run for the hills as they heard a thunderous boom rumble the forest like an earthquake.

XXXXXX

Dreadwing and Skyquake exited the forest to come upon a scorched lakeside covered in smoke. Thundercracker and Skywarp flew in and shifted to robot mode upon landing.

"Did you have to carpet bomb the place?" Thundercracker sniffed, waving smoke from his face. "I can't see a damn thing."

"The brats were getting away; I did the first thing that came to mind." Skywarp said.

"Where are the humans?" Dreadwing demanded. Skywarp pointed to the two large forms lying on the ground a few feet from them.

Dreadwing drew his sword and walked over to the motionless talos. Prometheus and Athena were severely damaged, having lost much of their outer armor and suffered serious damage to their limbs. The Prometheus was missing an arm and both its legs were mangled, while the Athena was largely intact thanks to its heavy armor, mainly due to Darren protecting it with his powers during the heavy rain. But Dreadwing was more concerned with the lack of pilots and the opened cockpit hatches on the talos.

"They're gone!" He scowled.

"They must've made a run for it using the smoke as cover." Thundercracker hummed, kicking Athena in the side. "Told you those brats were crafty."

Skyquake growled and grabbed Thundercracker by the neck, pulling him close. "Then where are they, smart guy?" He snarled.

Skywarp called out to them and pointed at the lake. On an invisible platform of telekinetic energy, Darren, Gina and Sara were gliding along the water at speeds almost rivaling a motorboat. Skywarp prepared to teleport, but a blast caught him in the back of the head, sending him to the ground.

Optimus and Sunstreaker drove out of the forest in vehicle mode and transformed, aiming their weapons at the Seekers. Skyquake snarled and stepped forward, but Dreadwing held him back.

"We'll handle the Autobots. You take care of the humans and retrieve the panel." He told his brother. Skyquake frowned, but shifted to jet mode to fly across the lake.

"You're too late, Prime. The panel is within our grasp and your human slaves are slated for extermination at the hands of my brother." Dreadwing announced, motioning to the damaged talos. "Without their toys, your pets defenseless paper tigers."

"Here is something you should learn, Dreadwing, never underestimate humans. You'll find that they have a habit of embarrassing you in the process." Optimus said.

"Spoken like a true weakling." Dreadwing replied.

Silence followed. The scorched was finally clearing was finally starting to ebb of smoke, and the opposing cybertronians now had a clear view of each other. Optimus and Dreadwing did not move or speak, simply waiting for the right moment to take action. A cold wind blew across the clearing, and both teams began to get impatient as they waited for that perfect moment in the break to attack.

Then, at some silent signal, Optimus and Megatron raised their weapons and fired simultaneously and the forest was set aflame once more.

XXXXXXX

Gina pulled Darren into the courtyard of the desolate castle, lifting him all the way from the moat they swam from onto dry land. The boy was exhausted, having suffered from head trauma from the beating his talos took, protecting Gina from the raining cluster bombs and transporting everyone across the lake afterwards. Once they managed to get him inside the castle's entry way, Sara had run some diagnostic scans on him and deduced that he had no lasting injuries.

"He is merely suffering from mental strain." She said. "I would advise that he refrain from using his powers for a while."

"I second that." Gina said and kissed Darren on the forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Like Centurion tap danced on my head." Darren replied, slowly getting to his feet. "Are we in the castle?"

"Yes, I pulled you here myself. We're in the main hall by the entrance." Gina told him.

"I thought it was the groom's job to carry the bride." Darren joked. Gina giggled and slapped his arm.

"Jinkies, Darren, now's not the time." She scolded her cheeks pink.

Their moment was broken when they heard jet engines roaring outside, followed by the heavy thump of large feet. "Come out, humans and relinquish the panel," Skyquake ordered. "Or I'll raze this castle to the ground!"

"I don't think he's bluffing." Darren muttered.

"Well let's not give him the chance to make good on his threat." Gina said and took Sara's hand. "Sara, help Darren find the panel. I'll go hold Skyquake off."

"No! You're not doing that!" Darren yelled. He still had nightmares of her death at the Ark, and he wasn't going through that again.

"Darren, I'm an inhuman. I was literally designed to take maximum punishment." Gina said, smiling softly. "And you are in no condition to do any heavy fighting."

Sara, too, look like she wanted to protest, but she resigned herself to following Gina's orders. But that didn't quell the anxious feeling manifesting in her gut. Was this what fear felt like?

Darren tried to convince her to not play hero, but she merely kissed him deeply and ran out of the hall, pulling her plasma blaster (dubbed the "Gina Blaster") to face the Seeker. Darren bit his lip and turned to Sara.

"We need to work fast." He said briskly. Sara nodded and her eyes enlarged as they scanned the hall. Her regular vision shifted into infrared, tracking the radiation she knew was related to stasis panels, seeing the invisible trail composed from their brief fall through the atmosphere. She tracked the trail deeper into the castle, pulling Darren with her until they reached the throne room.

Seeing the throne room, Darren realized that he never knew whose castle this belonged to. It was obviously some powerful English lord that once called this fortress home in the past, and the throne room was probably magnificent in its prime. The stained glass windows were still mostly intact, but dirty, however one of them was still clear enough to look at. It depicted a tall, powerful looking man, the king most likely, standing at attention before a stylized sun with a long sword in his grasp. A sword that looked much too extravagant to be any regular sword.

Sara walked over to the dinner table and looked it over before grabbing the edge and throwing it aside like it was a handkerchief. Darren jumped back out of reflex. "What are you doing?"

Sara knelt down over the spot the table was standing over and ran her fingers along the worn, gray stones. He stopped over a stone that had a single rune carved into it, a rune not commonly seen in Medieval architecture or religion. Out of curiosity, she pushed down and the stone sank lower like a button. To their surprise, the floor started to collapse in a circular pattern, revealing a spiraling staircase that went downward, creaking and groaning from centuries of disuse.

"You don't see that every day." Darren commented. What was it with ancient cultures and secret hidden chambers?

XXXXXX

The minute Optimus and Dreadwing pulled their triggers, the battle kicked off with a bang. The two leaders traded bursts of energy as their comrades fought around them. Dreadwing grunted as he took an ion blast to his shoulder and switched the rate of fire on his cannon to deploy missiles. Optimus flipped over the three projectiles and charged at Dreadwing, slamming into his and knocking him into the water.

Optimus punched his face a few times before he was kicked off, rolling on his back and landing on his feet. Dreadwing stood up, drawing his sword and spun it in the air before charging at Prime. Optimus took out his axe and swung it at Dreadwing. Sparks flew and metal screeched as they fought an archaic battle of blades in a land that was, unknown to them, once the territory of the most famous king in Britannia's history. They fought like the warriors of old, with a ferocity that would make Megatron proud.

As for Sunstreaker, who was making due with fighting the other two Seekers. Skywarp and Thundercracker fired their cannons at him, but he drove circles around them, shooting his laser cannons mounted on the sides of his headlights. When Skywarp gave up shooting and tried to carve him up with his blade, Sunstreaker transformed and kicked Skywarp in the head

"Bet you wished you had wheels as good as mine, didn't ya?" Sunstreaker smirked. Then a missile caught him in the chest and sent him crashing to the ash-covered ground, rolling until he hit a tree head first.

"Nah, we're good with our wings." Thundercracker retorted, hovering over the ground in jet mode.

Sunstreaker cursed and rubbed the smoking burn in his side. He went to car mode and drove into the forest gaining a grin from Skywarp. "We got a runner!"

"Good, I always fancy a chase." Thundercracker said. He and Skywarp flew back into the forest, maintaining a healthy distance from the ground and expertly avoiding the branches in their path.

Sunstreaker led them a good distance into the forest, away from Prime's battle, avoiding the rapid fire laser blasts trying to turn him into a burning wreck. He slowed down so that they gained some speed on him, and once he felt the hot air from their exhaust ports, Sunstreaker transformed and jumped onto the nearest Con-which was Skywarp. One photon blast took out the purple mech's right wing and he jumped off onto a branch.

"You bastard!" Skywarp shouted as he went out of control, hitting a tree and spinning in the air before reverting to his bipedal form. Skywarp crashed to the ground and landed hard on his shoulder.

"One down." Sunstreaker breathed. Now where was the other one?

Thundercracker fell on him from above and both mechs crashed through multiple branches before hitting the ground. The blue Seeker kicked Sunstreaker in the face and glared at the Autobot.

"You got anything else to say you little smart mouth?" Thundercracker growled and flew at Sunstreaker, intent to gore the Autobot for his arrogance.

XXXXXX

The staircase led deeper than Darren and Sara originally believed, probably reaching about a foot under the castle. The walls were lined with luminescent hephaestium stones carved into smoothly cut diamond shapes and placed equally along the walls as light sources. Sara led the way down, and was the first to reach the bottom of the staircase, shoving open the rust old door that hadn't been opened in centuries.

They entered a large chamber under the castle. The walls were made of metal and four giant statues of knights stood at the four corners, heads bowed, hands on the pommels of their swords. On the walls were swords, lances, axes and shields that were old and rusty from years of disuse. But Darren and Sara were more interested in the ornate coffin in the middle of the chamber, with the face of a man carved on the lid…along with the Minicon symbol.

"That's it!" Darren said and ran over to the coffin. He was wary of getting too close to it, having already had bad experiences with coffins and corpses in general following his parents' deaths and their funerals. The panel itself was stuck in the lid and he had to pull it out telekinetically to wrench it free. Studying the panel in his hands, he gave a small bow to the person lying inside the coffin. "Sorry to barge in, your majesty, but we need to take this off your hands before it causes you any more problems."

"Darren," Sara whispered, patting his shoulder. "Look."

She pointed at the large boulder sitting at the foot of the coffin that Darren had missed before. Silver, curved lines ran around the stone, converging at the sword hilt that stuck out of the boulder's top. Just from standing close to it, Darren could see that this weapon was very similar to Mjolnir. It sported the same glyphs on its cross guard hilt, which was silver but flawless, as if it hadn't aged since its owner's death (Excalibur from TLK). Thinking about the sword in the stone, Darren's eyes widened as he finally realized what this was.

"Oh my god, is this Excalibur?" Darren whispered. He spun around to the coffin. "Then that makes you King Arthur."

"Darren?" Sara inquired softly, wondering why her master's lover looked like he was about to explode like a firecracker.

Just as Darren was about to go into fanboy mode at stumbling on the most historical find in Britannia's history, he felt the chamber tremble for a second and heard a very faint explosion up top.

"That was Ms. Gina." Sara said. "She needs our help."

"And we'll help her," Darren handed the panel to Sara and looked at the sword. If this sword was anything like Mjolnir, then it might give him the power he needed to get Gina out of trouble. He walked over to the stone and reached for the hilt. "With some added firepower."

"Wait, I'm detecting a faint energy leaking from the sword. It could be dangerous." Sara warned him.

"No more dangerous than fighting a Decepticon bare handed." Darren shot back. "Now stand back. This is going to get loud."

Darren took a deep breath and wrapped his hands around the hilt and pulled. The instant his skin made contact with the sword, pain erupted through his hands. It was like he placed his hands on a hot stove and kept it there for as long as he could. Energy shot from the sword, sometimes striking Darren's arms as he struggled to pull it free, ignoring the agonizing pain traveling from his hands and up his arms.

"Come on!" Darren shouted through clenched teeth. "Work with me!"

Excalibur felt like hot iron in his hands, yet he still persisted, and the sword slowly slid out of the rock, inch by inch. Darren was far too blinded by pain to realize what he was doing, but Sara could see the sword emerge from its prison, with the energy surges becoming more violent as more of the blade was revealed. When the pain finally became too much, Darren gave a bellowing cry and gave one final yank, pulling Excalibur free and stumbling onto his butt. The light Excalibur gave off was akin to a star, and both Sara and Darren were almost blinded by its radiance. Excalibur was free once again.

XXXXXX

Outside the castle, Gina was doing her best to fight Skyquake, but one inhuman against a heavily armored Decepticon wasn't an even match-up. Gina's distortion halos weren't that effective against Skyquake unless focused on a single point like a dart, otherwise all she could do was leaving spiraling imprints on his outer armor. Not to mention she was busy dodging his large fists.

"I came here to kill humans and only one comes to fight me?" Skyquake boomed. "How many times must you animals insult me?"

"You? I'm the one who should be insulted that Dreadwing sent you instead of someone smarter, like Thundercracker." Gina replied.

Skyquake growled and took out his cannon, firing a volley of armor piercing bullets. Gina performed a series of superhuman acrobatics, her enhanced physique allowing her to move fast enough to avoid getting turned into a cloud of bloody mist. She ducked under the portcullis and spun around, her eyes glowing an electric blue as she created a halo in the nozzle of his cannon and exploded it. Roaring, Skyquake threw his cannon at her, which she jumped over, but right into the path of his oncoming fist.

Gina flipped over his hand, grabbing his middle finger and pulling it back to its breaking point. With a hard yank, she tore the finger off and threw it at his face like a speak, stabbing it into his eye. Skyquake reeled back in pain. He swung his arm into the side of the castle, destroying it and sending rocks flying everywhere. Gina fired another halo into his shoulder before a boulder hit her from behind and sent her into the courtyard, painfully.

She had used a lot of energy to damage Skyquake, more than a novice like her should've used at a single time. Gina took off her helmet and coughed out a wheeze as she saw Skyquake looming over her, rage in his sole working eye.

"It's time you pathetic humans learned your place in the Decepticon Empire," Skyquake raised his foot over her. "Under our heel."

He brought his foot down, but before it could crush her, a sharp, point of light stabbed into the side of his leg. It didn't stop, cutting into hits circuitry and emerging through the other side in a gush of energon. Gina used the distraction to run away as she saw what saved her-a flying broadsword coated in a silver aura. She tracked it with her eyes and saw it return to the one who threw it.

"Darren?" Gina breathed.

Darren caught Excalibur in his hands, which were slightly burned, with the sleeves of his pilot suit burned to his elbows. The silver sword in his grasp glowed like the morning star, and hummed like a tuning fork. Sara flew over to Gina and helped her up.

"Sara, what's going on?" She asked.

"Something…unexpected, Ms. Gina." Sara said.

Skyquake glared at Darren. "You are the one who killed Lugnut. Megatron told us about you."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"He promised us a reward for taking you to him for due punishment, in one piece, but dead worked too." Skyquake limped towards Darren. "If I cannot obtain the panel, then at least I can present your corpse to him!"

"You can try!" Darren shouted.

Skyquake swung his fist at Darren, who leapt over his arm to allow the fist to slam into the ground under him. Pushing off Skyquake's arm, he propelled himself at the Con's face and channeled TK energy into the sword, spinning around and swinging the blade at Skyquake's neck.

XXXXXX

Sunstreaker grunted as he hit the ground after getting thrown out of the forest by another one of Thundercracker's sonic booms. Thundercracker flew out of the canopy and landed in front of him, with Skywarp warping beside him. The yellow and black Autobot groaned and stood up, hopping from foot to foot with his arms raised.

"What are you bozos waiting for?" Sunstreaker taunted. "Let's go!"

At the lakeside, Optimus and Dreadwing continued their fight, though both mechs looked worse than when they began. Both combatants were on the verge of overheating and were exhausted, but they didn't sport any wounds that were more than superficial. It was only by their conviction that they kept their weapons raised for the next strike.

"Are you tired yet, Prime?" Dreadwing asked. "Would you like me to finish this now?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Optimus said.

Dreadwing ran at Optimus and swung his blade in an upward strike, managing to land a slash on Prime's chest. He wasn't expecting the Autobot leader to suddenly grab his blade, pull him forward and throw him into the deeper part of the lake. Optimus tossed the sword away as Dreadwing stood up in the water.

"I don't hear any more noise coming from the castle." He said. "I take it your brother is learning just how difficult humans can be."

"We are Seekers!" Dreadwing snarled, water dripping off his battered body. "There is nothing we can't-" Dreadwing froze mid-sentence before letting out a horrific scream that ran throughout the entire clearing. Optimus, Sunstreaker, Thundercracker and Skywarp looked at him perplexed as the commander fell back into the water in pain, though he sported no wounds.

"What the hell is going on?" Sunstreaker asked.

"I don't know, I didn't do any significant damage to him." Optimus said, just as confused. He looked to the castle and came to a realization. There was only one reason Dreadwing would be having such a reaction. "The children!"

Optimus and Sunstreaker dove into the water and swam past Dreadwing towards the castle, leaving Skywarp and Thundercracker to attend to their leader.

"What's wrong with him?" Skywarp asked.

"No idea, but we need to get him off the field." Thundercracker said. Skywarp saw the Autobots heading for the castle.

"But the Minicon!"

"Let them have the damn thing! Nightshade will skin us alive if we let Dreadwing die!" Thundercracker yelled. "Now where's Skyquake?"

Skywarp tried to hail Skyquake on the comm but got no response. "He's not answering.

"Sky…Skyquake…" Dreadwing moaned, his voice raspy and weak, tinged with despair. A far cry from his usual strong tone. "He's…gone…gone…I can't feel him…anymore…"

Thundercracker and Skywarp traded a troubled glance, knowing what that meant. As twins, Dreadwing and Skyquake shared a special bond only cybertronian siblings could have. If Dreadwing was like this…then that meant they were short one Seeker.

Thundercracker closed his eyes and called the Nemesis. "This is Thundercracker calling for an immediate ground bridge. Mission failed."

XXXXXX

Optimus and Sunstreaker ran through the partially destroyed castle gates to see the children and their android guardian, exhausted and bruised, but safe and sound. Sara had the panel in her possession and was starting at the large body not too far from them. Then they saw the still body of Skyquake, face down on the ground with his head lying a few feet away, eyes dark and expression stuck in a snarl, frozen in death.

"Holy…" Sunstreaker gaped. "What happened here?"

Darren, who had his arm around Gina's shoulders, gave the Autobots an eerily dead look as he held Excalibur in his other hand. "Nothing out of the ordinary, unfortunately." He said and leaned against his girlfriend.

Optimus stared at the children and shook his head. He was relieved to see that they were alright and unharmed, but that didn't mean they were mentally well. They killed another Decepticon with their own hands and from their expressions, they were suffering from a case of battle fatigue. Skyquake was dead and he was sure that Dreadwing's retribution was going to be swift as his fury.

But for now, they would go home with the panel and more in hand. Better to cross that bridge when they reached it.

XXXXXX

Dreadwing writhed in agony on his recharge slab in the privacy of his quarters, his body still suffering the effects of the phantom pain of the violent severing of his body to his twin. Skyquake was dead, and that feeling, that emptiness, was never going to fade. It will haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Those humans," Dreadwing growled, his fingers digging gouges into the bed. "I'll kill them along with the Autobots!"

And the cycle of hatred continues.

* * *

 **Darren gets the ultimate bling, and Skyquake loses his head. You all saw that coming. Now, Excalibur's appearance is based off how it looks in Transformers: The Last Knight, since I was waiting for the movie to come out so I could steal its design. Next chapter will focus on the wacky tale of Jetfire and Flashpoint as they race Nightshade for the third panel. Thank you for reading and please leave a review.**


	28. Nightengale

Chapter 28-Nightengale

Jetfire casually tossed his particle cannon into the air and caught it like he was playing with a ball and not a dangerous weapon. Despite the serious nature of his mission, he was walking on sunshine. Why? Because a certain someone (who was totally into him by the way) was partnered up with him, and him alone. The perfect opportunity to score a first base initiative. The ground bridge manifested and from it walked Flashpoint, who looked anything but happy working with him. Jetfire stood up straight and gave her (what he thought) was a wink.

"Hey doc, ready for a second date?" Jetfire asked smoothly.

Flashpoint sighed. "Jetfire, please remember that we are on an important mission to save a potential hostage. At least try to look serious."

"Pfft," Jetfire huffed. "Come on, doc, I'm always serious. I'm just better at hiding than you."

"And don't call me doc! My name is Flashpoint, use it!" She snapped.

"Whatever you say," Jetfire transformed into jet mode. "Sunshine."

Flashpoint gritted her teeth. She could already feel a headache coming on. The assistant medic held aback her frustration and shifted to vehicle mode just as Jetfire flew off ahead of her. Making sure she had the proper coordinates inputted, she kicked it into second gear and drove into the forest at full speed.

XXXXXX

"So…you have any hobbies?" Jetfire asked over the comm. "I like flying, exploring, and-"

"Jetfire, are we seriously doing this now?" Flashpoint sighed. She mentally winced as she drove over a rough bump on the path that scratched her undercarriage. The forest they were traversing was full of sharp rocks on the ground that made it hell to drive over.

"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. It's not good going into a mission tense and stiff." He said, flying low enough to see her. "You gotta relax more, you're too tense."

"And you're too lax, flyboy. This is a mission, not a date." Flashpoint replied. "So could you do us a favor and keep watch for any Decepticons? That would be great."

"Hmph like they know we're here." Jetfire huffed and increased his altitude. "So long as we lay low, we don't have anything to worry about-"

The explosion that bloomed near them counteracted that statement. Jetfire cursed and Flashpoint swerved under the trees to avoid the sudden plasma bombardment from the skies. The dark shape of Nightshade descended upon them, sunlight glistening off her ebony black armor as she fired missile darts at Flashpoint, trying to blast the medic to pieces. This was done on the basis of taking out the medic first before handling the much more formidable Autobot flyer prowling the skies. She wanted them both gone; no theatrics, no taunting, just a quick defeat before continuing with her mission. She wasn't in the mood.

Flashpoint yelped as a missile hit the ground near her rear wheels and made her tip over too far. She transformed and took cover under a tree, taking out her blaster. Nightshade circled around for another air strike, but had to break her flight path to avoid a proton missile from Jetfire.

"Try fighting someone who can fly, birdie!" Jetfire fired his plasma cannons at Nightshade to chase her off and engaged her in a dogfight.

Nightshade hissed and broke off her attack to get Jetfire off her tail. The Autobot ace kept up his speed as he pursued her through the skies, firing his Vulcan laser cannons nonstop and would fire a heat seeker to put the pressure on her. Nightshade couldn't stop to attack knowing that he would unleash all of his weapons on her the minute she slowed down even for a second. Even Flashpoint was hard-pressed to say that Jetfire wasn't a good flyer. He was an egotistical loudmouth, but he knew his stuff.

When a few rounds from Jetfire's cannons caught Nightshade in the wing, she knew she had to do something to break this chase. Spinning in the air, she switched to her secondary configuration, her beast mode's wings fixing to her torso and head pointing straight to form a sleeker configuration akin to a stealth bomber. She increased her rear thrusters and zigzagged through the air before flying higher into the sky, into the sun. Jetfire kept up his pursuit, ignoring Flashpoint's cries for him to come back.

"You ain't runnin' from me, Ms. Turkey!" Jetfire yelled. He knew what she was doing-keeping the sun on her back to blind him. Too bad it was a predictable maneuver. But what he wasn't expecting was her shooting down at him in robot mode swords drawn. "Scrap!"

Jetfire also transformed and extended his bayonet to stop the swords from beheading him. Nightshade then proceeded to make good on a field she was well versed in-swordplay. She kept him strictly on the defensive, attacking with fierce, quick slashes and stabs that sent sparks flying. They may have been equal in terms of aerial combat, but close combat was a field Nightshade was superior in. Jetfire hissed as she landed a cut on his shoulder and flew back, shoving his feet in her face and fired up his boosters. Super-hot blue flames engulfed her face and she recoiled sharply, pushing back fast enough to avoid serious damage to her face and optics. On instinct, she drew Gandiva and fired an arrow just as Jetfire fired his particle cannon.

Down below, Flashpoint covered her eyes as the sky was illuminated by a bright flash of light, followed by a resounding boom that shook the forest and nearly shorted out her audio receptors. She looked up and saw two figures falling out of the smoke cloud like meteors.

"Jetfire!"

XXXXXX

Jetfire awoke to a stinging pain on his back and a terrible headache that felt like he lost a drinking game with Blurr. His optics switched online and he saw Flashpoint's wonderful golden face hovering over him. What a pleasant sight to look up to!

"Are you an angel?" Jetfire asked dreamily.

"How can I be an angel if I lost my wings?" Flashpoint retorted blandly. "And stop squirming; I'm trying to fix your wing."

"My wing?"

Jetfire realized that Flashpoint was running a welding torch along the base of his right wing. He also felt a slight ache near his rear afterburners. When he inquired as to what happened, Flashpoint's red lips turned down in a scowl.

"You and Nightshade blew each other out of the sky and nearly scrapped yourselves. We're sitting in the crater you made upon crashing."

That explains the lack of grass sticking in his servos.

"I've been working on repairing you for the last fifteen minutes, trying to get you back online. I have no idea where Nightshade is, but I doubt she's in better condition." She continued.

"Well, that's a wing for us." Jetfire sighed. "What's the damage doc?"

"Nothing serious, but your thrusters are almost shot and your right wing was hanging by a few strips of metal before I fixed it back into place."

"Can I still fly?"

"Yes, but-" She jumped when he shot back to his feet.

"So we're all good!" He exclaimed, then doubled over as he felt that ache again. "Ow…"

"You are not good, you dunderhead!" She yelled. "You fought Nightshade when you know she was adept at close quarters combat. She could've killed you with that bow"

"But she didn't?" He pointed out.

"Don't try to turn this around. You never should've engaged her!"

"So I should've let her use you for target practice instead? No way, sister. That's not how this mate rolls!"

"I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, but you're my partner and it's my job to keep you safe." Jetfire replied and then added, "And vice versa."

Flashpoint sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Look, you can't fly right now, not in your condition. The best you can do is boost jumps, but try to force it any longer and you'll rupture your fuel lines and blow yourself up."

Jetfire wanted to protest or retort, wanting to fly because it was the best thing he could do, especially in this situation. But the serious look in her eyes made him pause. First rule of combat was to always listen to the medic. If the doctor tells you not to do something, you obey without question. Your life was in their hands and it would to do make their job harder than it already needed to be.

"Fine," He grumbled. "I'll keep my boots on the ground. But how are we going to reach the panel without my wings?"

Flashpoint smirked and collapsed into her vehicle mode. "I'll use my wheels. You run."

Jetfire gaped at the medic as she drove into the forest, kicking dirt onto his feet. He mumbled angrily about cocky femmes too attractive for their own good as he jogged after her.

XXXXXX

Nightshade pushed a chunk of oak tree off her and hissed in pain when she tried to move her wings. The explosion was like a concussion bomb had detonated in her face and everything ached. She heard a metallic screech and Songbird flew onto a low hanging branch.

"Mistress, are you alright?" Songbird asked.

"Just give me a second." She said, waiting for her senses to return before standing up. Wouldn't look very dignified to fall over from dizziness.

Songbird gasped as she saw Nightshade's bent left wing. "Your wing…"

Nightshade winced as she wiggled the damaged appendage. "Looks like I'm running from here on out," She grumbled. "Damn Autobot. If it's not Starscream, it's the Autobots' fragging wingman."

"Mistress, I just saw the Autobots heading towards the panel. The flyer you fought seems to have been downed."

"Really? Wonderful," Nightshade smirked. "That makes my job easier. Songbird, keep an eye on them and tell me how close they are. I'll join you shortly."

Songbird bowed her head. "Yes, mistress."

XXXXXX

Jetfire had never felt so stupid in his life. He was a born flyer and here he was trying to catch up with an ambulance on foot. He wouldn't have been lagging behind like this if these damn trees weren't in the way. Not to mention those damn roots he kept tripping over. And if one more branch smacked him in the face…

"How are you doing back there?" Flashpoint asked. Jetfire could hear the grin in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Jetfire muttered. "Kick a bot while he's down."

"Sorry, Jetfire, but think of this as an opportunity to get some physical training in." She laughed.

Jetfire wanted to be cross with her, he really did, but that laugh of hers made it hard to be angry. He had lady luck on his side if he was partnered up with her. Darren was right, hot nerds were the best!

His reverie was interrupted when another branch hit him in the face. Cursing loudly, he tore it off and threw it to the ground, stomping on it. "That's it! I'm sick of these bloody trees!"

"It's not that serious, Jetfire."

"No, I'm gonna teach these overgrown ferns a lesson!"

He made to kick the tree, but it suddenly exploded in his face, sending shards of bark and burning leaves into his face. Flashpoint immediately spun around and transformed, running towards Jetfire. She screamed as an arrow shot over her head and destroyed the tree to her left. Jetfire rubbed his head where he had hit the trunk behind him in his haste to jump back from the explosion.

"Wow, didn't know the trees here were that lethal." Jetfire quipped. Flashpoint ducked for cover and whacked his leg.

"We're under attack, genius! I think it's Nightshade!" She said.

Jetfire peeked around the tree and saw a large, dark shape sprint through the trees like a shadow. When he saw it stop and two red eyes focus on him, Jetfire grabbed Flashpoint and rolled away as the tree he was hiding behind was vaporized from another arrow. He pushed Flashpoint behind a bush and took out his particle cannon.

"Stay close to me, Flashy." Jetfire said. He fired in the direction the arrows were coming from and saw Nightshade take cover from his attacks. He failed to see Songbird flying at them from above. The Minicon transformed to her weapon mode and fired her particle beam at him. Flashpoint was just fast enough to push Jetfire out of the line of fire, getting hit in the chest while she retaliated with a plasma beam from her arm cannon. Songbird screeched and flew away into the canopy while Flashpoint grinned at Jetfire.

"You better stay close to me." She quipped.

Nightshade jumped out of cover and fired another arrow before running deeper into the forest. She transformed to beast mode and forced herself to ignore the pain as she flew low to the ground. Songbird powerlinked with her to give her some much needed energy to make the trip.

"You're not getting away!" Jetfire exclaimed and prepared to transform, but Flashpoint whacked him on the head to keep him from doing so. "What's your deal, Shelia?"

"You know what's my deal!" She yelled. "Did you forget about the dangers of flying in your condition? You'll burst into flames and die!"

Jetfire groaned and folded up his particle cannon. "So what do we do now? Jog after her?"

Flashpoint shook her head and shifted to vehicle mode. "Hop on."

"Huh?"

"Hop on. I can drive you there," She said. "Think of me as your oddly shaped oversized skateboard."

"But, I can't do that!" Jetfire protested. ""I don't know how the humans do it, but I do not treat a lady like some bloody hoverboard."

"Undo concern for women also breeds contempt from them." Flashpoint replied. "You're sweet to think like that, Jetfire, but the worst you can do is get some dirt on my hood."

Jetfire grunted but gently placed a foot on top of her hood. Flashpoint revved her engines and drove forward, with Jetfire pushing against the ground for added speed. It was awkward, since Jetfire was a 31 foot tall mech riding a femme that was half his size, but Flashpoint didn't mind for the most part, since time was of the essence. Jetfire felt uncomfortable for doing this to a friend, especially a lady such at herself.

He really hated not being able to fly.

XXXXXX

Nightshade forced herself to fly all the way to the panel's coordinates. She flew as far as the edge of the forest before reaching a rocky field of towering stone pillars. These pillars were sometimes connected by arches that remained from centuries of erosion. She transformed and disengaged Songbird from her back.

"Is this the place?" She questioned.

"Yes, mistress," Songbird nodded. "Right on that small cliff near the anvil shaped boulder. I think it's buried in the rock."

Nightshade leapt onto the stone arch connecting the first to pillars and ran her scanner along the surface. The device indicated that the panel was definitely buried deep in the stone, subject to the elements that erected the pillars. Standing over the spot, she nodded to Songbird, who transformed into her weapon mode and plugged into her arm. Channeling the power of her Minicon, Nightshade fired a powerful beam into the rock, keeping it centered on a single spot. She burned through the stone and didn't stop until she could see the panel inside. Nightshade cut the beam off and picked up the stasis panel, dusting it off.

"Mission accomplished." She smirked.

Her triumphant attitude died when Jetfire's white form leapt over the edge and flew into her, sending them both crashing into the ground. Nightshade punched him off and flipped onto her feet. Then she noticed that she wasn't holding anything. The panel was gone!

Jetfire was mentally smirking as he noticed the panel behind him, having been dropped by the femme before him. "Looks like you dropped the ball, Nightshade. Not your best moment."

"Would you just shut up!" Nightshade growled, drawing her swords. Jetfire also drew his bayonets and got into his stance.

A warm breeze blew over them as they waited for the right moment to attack. Jetfire waited for Nightshade to make the first move, keeping an eye on any twitch or shudder. But she was like a statue, unmoving and still. Seeing that she wasn't going to make the first move, Jetfire decided to take the plunge.

He charged forward and slashed at her. She avoided his blades and spun around his attacks, blocking when she needed to, and leaning back when he almost had her with an upward strike that almost carved her chest open. The Seeker was obviously trained in his melee weapons, as were all Seekers in the off chance that they were forced into close combat with an enemy that won't let them fly. But considering Nightshade regularly trained with Skywarp and Thundercracker, she was already adept at how this fighting style worked.

This was exactly what Jetfire was counting on. When he went to swing his blade at her head, and she ducked under it, he boosted backwards and fired a missile at her. Nightshade jumped aside to avoid a fiery death, but Jetfire rushed at her. He slammed his knee into her face and they both went flying off the arch and into the rocky ground below.

Nightshade rolled to the side and clutched her face. That knee cracked one of her optical lens and her nasal ridge ached. She saw Jetfire stand up and hop on his feet like a boxing, taunting her.

"You Seekers are so arrogant!" She spat at him. "You think you've won the battle before it's even started, and that's what always kills you in the end." She looked around. "Where's you little friend, the good doctor."

"Far away from you. Figured you'd want to do this flyer to flyer." Jetfire said.

Nightshade sneered. "I have no obligation to cater to your Seeker code or whatever you pompous junkheaps think of under that word. There is no such thing as one on one in war, Autobot. There are only winners and losers."

Songbird flew out of her hiding place and fired a blast at Jetfire's unprotected back. He grunted and stumbled, allowing Nightshade to take out Gandiva and fired an arrow. Jetfire was barely able to tilt his head to the side as the arrow shot past his face and into the pillar behind him. The stone formation exploded and Jetfire was hit by falling rocks blown apart as if fired from a cannon.

"Damn that stings." Jetfire grunted, nursing the burns on his arm. Just being near that explosion had almost blown him to scrap, and he could barely stand without suffering a dizzy spell.

Nightshade walked up to him and pointed her sword at his face. "That's the problem with you Seekers. You think you're tough slag even after a beat down. Surrender and I won't tell anyone how I kicked your ass ten different ways in half an hour."

Jetfire chuckled and gave her the finger (something he learned from Annie). "Get fragged."

Nightshade scowled and raised her sword to impale his skull. But then she was hit by a couple of laser blasts that hit her damaged wing. She crumpled to the ground in pain and glared at her attacker, Flashpoint.

"Jetfire!" She yelled.

"Flashy?" Jetfire groaned. "I told you to hang back!"

"You good for nothing glitch!" Nightshade linked with Songbird once more and pointed her targetmaster at the medic. Jetfire pushed himself up and grabbed her, making her miss the shot by a mile.

"Grab the panel!" Jetfire shouted. Flashpoint made a run for the tiny object, but Nightshade pulled her arm free and slammed her fist down on his head. Jetfire held on hard to her, but her sharp knuckles were leaving dents in his cranium, sharp fingers scratching at his blue visor.

Nightshade saw Flashpoint getting closer to the panel and grabbed his head, pushing him back far enough to free her arm and fire her rail gun into his shoulder. Jetfire's shoulder exploded in a fiery shower of sparks and energon, and he fell back in pain, still weakly holding on to her. Songbird separated from Nightshade and began scratching at his head to keep him occupied.

With her arms now free, Nightshade aimed Gandiva at Flashpoint and released her arrow. Seeing this, Jetfire punched Songbird away and activated his damage thrusters, boosting forward as fast as he could. Flashpoint, stuck between Jetfire and certain death, had no time to do anything except close her eyes and wait for the end.

Nightshade smiled as she saw both Autobots become engulfed in a plume of white flames and energy that boomed like thunder. She spat out a wad of energon and limped over to the panel. Picking it up, she scooped Songbird into her arms and called the Nemesis.

"This is Nightshade, send me a ground bridge." She called, looking at the column of thick smoke rising into the air. "I have what I came here for."

XXXXXX

'I need to stop waking up like this.'

That was Jetfire's first thought as he woke up after falling unconscious for the second time that day. It was high noon now, and the sky was a bright blue devoid of clouds. His body was numb once again, but still operational, so that was good at least. Save for the lack of a right arm, and leg…and wing. Yeah, he was in bad shape. He tried to move, but he couldn't even feel his remaining limbs. What the hell?

"I disconnected the neural pathways to your limbs so you can't move." Flashpoint's subdued voice told him. "So don't bother."

He was still able to move his head and he looked up to see Flashpoint sitting by a tree. She had some burns on her, along with some badly warped armor, but she looked okay. Aside from her frowny face.

"What'd you go and do that for?" He asked weakly.

:To keep you from doing something stupid again. Like jumping in front of an arrow that can blow holes in mountains." Flashpoint growled. "What's wrong with you? You could've been killed!"

"But it would've been totally worth it." He chuckled.

"No, it wouldn't. We've lost the panel and you almost died."

"But I saved you, and that's what matters to me." Jetfire said, gazing up at the clouds overhead. "Prime said that one death is one too many. And I wasn't about to let you become a statistic."

Flashpoint stared at him, her mouth hanging open and grabbed her head in frustration, growling and grumbling. Jetfire watched her lose her composure for a few minutes before finally calming down.

"You don't rage quitting, Flashy?" He asked. Flashpoint just sat by the tree, head buried in her knees. "Flashy?"

"Why?" She asked softly.

"Why what?"

"Why are you so interested in me? I'm not all that pretty, so don't try that excuse with me. I'm not some second coming of Elita-1! I can't compare to any of the others on my team and I'm certainly no famous medic like Ratchet or Pharma!"

"Because I have a thing for femmes who can put me in my place." Jetfire answered. "Seriously, that strict, authoritarian thing you got going on is hot."

Flashpoint shook her head. "You're an idiot, Jetfire."

"And you're gorgeous, Flashpoint." He replied.

She couldn't keep the smile off her face when she called the Ark. "Ratchet, we need a ground bridge."

XXXXXX

Ratchet, Sparkplug and Comettor stood at the ground bridge as Jetfire and Flashpoint slowly walked into the shuttle bay.

"You two look like scrap." Comettor said.

"Nice to see you too, little bugger." Jetfire grumbled.

"Flashpoint, take Jetfire to the med bay. I'll see to him shortly." Ratchet sighed. As they Autobots left the room (looking strangely closer than they did when they left earlier that morning), Ratchet turned to Sparkplug. "Any word from Bulkhead and Annie?"

"Not yet. I'll try calling Annie up-" Sparkplug was cut off by Bulkhead's panicked voice on the comm.

" _Sparkplug, get us out of here! NOW!"_ Bulkhead roared.

"Bulkhead?" Ratchet blinked. "What's wrong?"

" _JUST BRIDGE US OUT OF HERE! ANNIE'S HURT!"_

Ratchet quickly changed the coordinates and switched the ground bridge back on. After a few tense seconds that passed, they saw Bulkhead and Enyo flying out of the portal, crashing to the floor in a smoking heap in front of the bridge. Those present stared in horror as they saw the smoking hole in Bulkhead's back and the blood leaking from Enyo's cockpit.

"No…" Ratchet gasped.

* * *

 **And the plot thickens. Find out what happened to Bulkhead and Annie in the next chapter, which will be the end of the Minicon arc and the start of the mini-trilogy of the Vengeance arc. I have also made some revisions to part 2 of Inhumans and Hearts of Iron in Awakening, so please check those out too. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	29. Hurt

Chapter 29-Hurt

Megatron exited the ground bridge and stepped into a deep canyon bordered a large mountain with a light coating of forested area along its left side. Both sides of the canyon sported large rock formations that looked suspiciously like animals. This region was named "Black Horse" for the tribal chief who led a massive battle against the Britannian villages they were invading. What followed after was a massacre.

Leader-1 had detected a faint, encoded transmission in the area. Considering this was where a deposit of energon was located, Megatron knew this was no coincidence and went to investigate after sending Nightshade on her mission. Honestly, he wasn't expecting to find anything, but he didn't get this far in life by not being thorough. But he also wasn't expecting to hear the sound of insectoid wings flapping in the air.

He looked up and saw three large robotic insects flying around the rock formations before landing on the ground, transforming and kneeling before Megatron. He idly recognized these as Insecticon alphas, genetically altered by Shockwave as a result of his experiments. They were Venom, Barrage and Chop Shop.

"Well, this is a welcome surprise." Megatron smiled. "To think that three Insecticons would be found this far from Cybertron…or Shockwave's ever watchful eye."

"We live to serve you lord Megatron." The Insecticons said in perfect unison. Megatron looked around for any others.

"I thought that you Insecticons never travel alone. Where is the rest of your hive?"

"Gone, my lord." Barrage hissed. "We were attacked by humans aided by a femme, a rogue who wielded great power. She overpowered us and the humans managed to capture a third of our hive before we were forced to flee."

"Then that traitorous witch Airachnid came while we were hibernating and took control over the rest of the hive. We alone escaped her influence." Venom said. "I believe she was working with Flamewar to attack your base in an attempt to assassinate you and Nightshade."

"That explains the Insecticon bodies littering the island." Megatron muttered. "If you were here all this time, then why haven't you made any attempt to contact us?"

"My lord, we would've made contact with you had we known you were on this planet in the first place." Venom explained. "It's just that those humans have been hunting us for so long."

"And their weapons hurt really bad." Chop Shop said.

"Quit your groveling." Megatron growled, making them recoil in fear. "Who here is the strongest among you?"

"I am the strongest alpha of this group, my lord," Barrage said, standing up. "But we Insecticons are stronger as one."

"Then I have a job for you all then," Megatron said. "I want you to retrieve something for me. And failure is not an option!"

XXXXXX

At the Ark, the Autobots were already working on mobilizing for the four stasis panels. Optimus had already sent out Rodimus, Moonracer, Kevin and Penny, and Flashpoint with Jetfire.

"Bulkhead, you and Annie will go to search for the fourth panel." Optimus told them.

"You two will be heading for the equator." Ratchet told them.

"We're heading to the hottest place in the western hemisphere? Oh come on. I sweat like a pig in high humidity." Annie groaned. Bulkhead chuckled and picked her up.

"Don't worry, Annie. Just slap on some sunscreen and bug repellant and you're all set." He said. He lifted her into Enyo's cockpit, where she secured herself into the pilot seat. "Hope your talos has air conditioning."

"Don't worry, the torrential downpour will make up for the heat." Annie said wryly.

Ratchet activated the ground bridge and the two stepped in front of the archway. Optimus saw them off with some parting words.

"Be on your guard, you two." Optimus warned. Bulkhead nodded and followed Annie into the bridge.

XXXXXX

The coordinates they were sent to placed them at the foot of a volcano near the southernmost region of Azteca, smack dab in the middle of the equatorial region. Bulkhead took one step into the thick, humid air and scrunched his face up as he took a whiff of the Aztecan atmosphere.

"Whoo! That's rank!" Bulkhead waved a hand in front of his face. "Smells worse than an Insecticon hive."

"That's mother nature at work, Bulk." Annie grinned. "Volcanic ash and cooled magma. I wish I could breath in all that heavy, ash laden air but I'm all cooped up in my pressurized talos. Ain't that a damn shame?"

Bulkhead shot her a deadpan glare. "Yeah, it is. Now if you're done gloating about your fancy mecha, can you run a scan of the area? I don't wanna be here any longer than I have to be."

"What? Afraid of being ambushed by a dragon or something?"

"That, and running into those metal-eating plants you told me about." Bulkhead grumbled. Annie grinned, forgetting that she told Bulkhead that the Amazon rainforest was home to a species of plants that ate anything metal, and had a thing for robots. The poor mech avoided any and all missions to Azteca's rainforests like the plague.

She pressed a button on her radar panel and initiated a localized scan of the immediate area. She quickly got the results, but they weren't what she wanted. "I'm not getting anything on the radar, Bulk. I don't think the panel's here."

"What do you mean? We're right on top of the coordinates." He said.

Enyo stepped forward, but its large foot ruptured a gas pocket that released a cloud of ash into its face. Bulkhead quickly caught the talos before it toppled over from its imbalance. The terrain was uneven and riddled with flaming hot death traps that were not friendly towards giant robots, terran and alien.

"Let's figure this out before you step into a lava flow or something." Bulkhead called the Ark. "Bulkhead to base, do you copy?"

"Reading you loud and clear, Bulkhead." Sparkplug replied over the comm.

"Spark! You're back!" Annie smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sluggish, but better than before. Ratchet's working on the others, so I'm your caretaker for now." Sparkplug chuckled. "So what's the problem?"

"We need to reconfirm coordinates. We're on site, but the panel's not here." Bulkhead said.

"Hold on," Sparkplug went silent as he checked the data. "You're definitely in the right place. In fact, you guys should've seen it by now."

Bulkhead gave a deep chested rumble. "Well the damn thing's not here."

Annie pursed her lips and crossed her arms. Looking down at the black slopes of ash and cooled lava, a thought came to mind. "Maybe it was here, but not anymore."

"Huh?"

"The panel landed in this area long before there was a volcano, Bulk. What if the panel was swept down the slope in a lava flow when this place went active and moved before the Moon Minicons got a solid lock on it?" Enyo pointed down the slope. "If we follow the flow, we might find our prize."

Bulkhead blinked at her before giving a laugh. "That's my girl! I knew you would be the brains of this operation!"

He gave her talos a hard pat on the back, nearly knocking her over. "Whoa, watch it!"

"Sorry."

XXXXXX

At the same time, Barrage and his team exited the ground bridge from the Nemesis onto the other side of the volcano. Barrage studied the humid, hellish landscape and took a deep breath, growling in his throat.

"This planet is not like Cybertron," Chop Shop said with a voice like clashing needles. "Everything here is soft and easy to break. The weather, the climate, the noises, it's all too much for my senses."

"Ignore the distractions of this world. We are here for one thing and one thing only." Barrage said gruffly. "Now divide, and do not hesitate to conquer."

The three Insecticon alphas transformed to their beast modes and flew off in different directions, following the scent of the Autobot and his human. The hunt was on and woe onto any poor soul, man, beat or bot, who got in their way.

XXXXXX

Thunder rumbled in the distance as Bulkhead and Annie walked down to the foot of the volcano, which was mostly caked in a thick layer of solidified magma. Annie kept her eyes on her monitors for any signs of trouble, and Bulkhead noticed that she was strangely quiet.

"You doing okay there, Annie?" He asked.

"Just a little tense." She answered, looking around at the thick trees just a foot away from them. The rainforest was a hard place to traverse, and little to no one lived this far into the dense vegetation, and yet she couldn't shake that unsettling feeling of eyes on her. "I don't know why, but I feel like we're being stalked."

"Ah don't worry about it. You're probably still running on that high from all the excitement on Luna." Bulkhead said. "Just take deep breathes and calm down or else you'll be jumping at every shadow."

Annie smiled and followed his advice. She loved it when Bulkhead used his past battlefield experience like a war veteran. It made her feel cool to hang out with a seasoned pro like him. But her calm was interrupted by something popping up on her audio arrays. Bulkhead heard it as well.

"What is that?" Annie asked.

"Buzzing," Bulkhead changed his arm into his blaster and stepped closer to Annie. "Watch the skies, I think we're about to get some company."

His caution was rewarded with a green and white blur jumping down on them from the sky, slamming into Bulkhead and knocking him into the hardened magma. Annie didn't bother questioning why there was a giant rhinoceros beetle here; she only opened fire on it with Enyo's wrist cannons. The beams only lightly damaged its armored carapace, and the beetle howled before spinning around and slamming its long horn into Enyo's side. The beetle then transformed into a green and white mech as large as Bulkhead.

"An Insecticon, great." Bulkhead grunted. "I thought you bugs jumped ship with Flamewar."

"Flamewar and her freakish consort hold no sway over us alphas. We are the strongest of our race, the apex predators." The Insecticon said.

"Enough bragging and tell us who the hell are you?" Annie demanded.

"I am Barrage, an alpha under the command of Lord Megatron." Barrage growled and looked at Annie like a piece of meat. "And I know you two. The little girl who challenged my king, and a washed up Wrecker out of his field."

"Watch it bug!" Bulkhead charged at Barrage and threw his wrecking ball arm at Barrage's face.

Barrage took the powerful blow with little damage and dug his claws into the Autobot's chest, leaving behind a deep gash in his chest plate. Annie came up from the rear and slashed her beam saber along his back, the energy blade easily cutting through his armor and damaging the circuitry underneath. This unexpected pain made Barrage snarl and kick Enyo in the chest and caught Bulkhead's fist in his claws.

"You're strong," Barrage slashed his claws into Bulkhead's shoulder. "But you're too slow!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Bulkhead head butted Barrage in the face to knock him back and Annie fired three missiles at the Insecticon's head, sending him crashing onto his back.

"And stay down." Annie spat. She turned to Bulkhead. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Bulkhead wiped some energon bleeding from his mouth and ignored the stinging in his shoulder clavicle. "Let's move. If there's one Insecticon here, then more are nearby. They like to travel in groups."

Annie gave the down Insecticon one last glance before following Bulkhead, neither of them noticing the little puddles of energon the Autobot was leaking.

XXXXXX

It wasn't long before they found the panel stuck inside a cave formed from the lava flow, hollowed out by some force of nature and full of hephaestium crystals that seemed to surround the panel like a hand. Annie stood guard at the mouth of the alcove while Bulkhead smashed apart the crystals and pulled the panel out.

"Huh. It's completely unscathed." Annie noted. "Not a mark on it."

"These panels survived a fall from orbit. A little dip in the lava pool will just make it a little warm to the touch." Bulkhead remarked. He took a step forward before stumbling a bit and holding his head with a groan.

"Whoa, what's wrong?" Annie asked, suddenly scared for her friend.

"N-nothing, just woozy. Hephaestium crystals don't agree with Cybertronians." Bulkhead said and continued on. "Come on, let's call for a ground bridge."

"Sparkplug, we got the panel." Annie called in. She waited for a response, but only got static. Frowning, she tried again on a different frequency. "Sparkplug, do you copy?"

Bulkhead tried his own comm but got the same results. "Sparkplug, can you hear us?"

They gave each other worried looks after trying again. If they couldn't call for a bridge, then they were stuck there at the mercy of an unknown number of Insecticons hunting them down.

"It must be the hephaestium in the area. This place is probably covered in the things." Bulkhead said.

"Maybe we can get a better reception at the caldera." Annie suggested.

She the way back out of the cave with Bulkhead, but as soon as they got out into the open, they were assaulted by a volley of electrical bolts that were fired from the jungle. Annie managed to avoid any hits, but Bulkhead, moving a bit slower than usual, took a few blasts to his chest. He stumbled back and Annie jumped in front of him, firing her two wrist cannons.

"Come on, you call that firepower!" A black and orange robotic locust flew out of the canopy, moving too fast for the two to track him. "This is power!"

The Insecticon known as Chop Shop landed on the ground and kicked Bulkhead in the chest with his back legs, hitting him with enough force to leave a visible dent in his chest plate and actually sent him flying nearly two feet back into the cave. Chop Shop turned his attention to Annie and started rubbing his hind legs together to create an intense sonic vibration that filled the air like nails on a chalkboard.

"Ahhh!" Annie covered her ears as the vibrations affected her even in the safety of Enyo's cockpit. The vibrations even started messing up her unit's systems, and Annie couldn't get her machine to move.

Chop Shop cackled madly as he continued to slowly drive the girl into insanity. His sonic vibrations were agonizing enough on Cybertronians, but devastating to organics, as those exposed to the vibrations for too long would often have their ear drums ruptured, or suffer from severe internal injuries. Fortunately for Annie, Chop Shop didn't get the chance to take her out as Bulkhead slammed into him. The Insecticon hit the ground and switched forms mid-fall, shifting both hands into concussion blasters and shooting at him. Bulkhead fired back with his own blaster. Both mechs hit each other with laser bursts that scorched their armor and burned their bodies and it would've gotten physical had Bulkhead not fired a blast at a gas pocket under Chop Shop's feet, dousing his face in gas.

Chop Shop flinched back from the hot gas and this distraction allowed Bulkhead to run in close and punch the alpha in the head with his wrecking ball. That one blow shattered Chop Shop's red visor and another punch nearly caved in his head, knocking him offline. Bulkhead waited for the bug to crumple to the ground before running over to Annie.

"Annie, are you okay?"

"Ugh," Annie groaned, shaking her head. Her ears were ringing and her vision swam from her headache. "Don't yell, Bulk, my head's killing me. I'm fine, but my talos is down and needs a system reboot. It won't take long."

"Don't worry, out pest won't be waking up any time soon." He assured her.

But the universe liked proving its occupants wrong at the most inopportune times. A green figure flew out of the canopy and landed next to Bulkhead. The mostly green and brownish gold Insecticon known as Venom quickly switched to beast mode, a giant emerald cicada, and stabbed his stinger into Bulkhead's side. Venom dragged the stinger through Bulkhead's abdomen, leaving a deep gash in his armor before leaping back and flying away, cackling.

"Bulkhead!" Annie opened her cockpit and ran over to the Autobot, who fell to one knee clutching his wound. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, this is just a mesh wound." Bulkhead hissed. "Hurts like a glitch though."

Annie looked at the wound. It was like a knife had carved into Bulkhead's torso, ripping into his thick armor and exposed the vulnerable circuitry within. Ironically, the heated stinger had cauterized the wound, welding together the ruptured power lines that should've been leaking energon profusely.

Bulkhead saw Annie's worried expression and poked her in the chest with a large finger. "Don't start getting teary eyed on me, Annie. This is nothing new. People get hurt in battles all the time."

"But if my talos had been working, I could've…" Annie bit her lip.

"As I said, this is nothing serious. My repair systems can keep me going until we get back to Ratchet." Bulkhead handed her the stasis panel. "Now let's get back to the volcano before we run into a giant man-eating Venus fly-trap or something."

Annie giggled. "Okay."

Annie ran back to her talos and climbed back into the cockpit, starting the mecha back up again. Bulkhead got back to his feet and marched back up the volcano, unaware of the poison cycling through his system right now.

XXXXXX

"Have a nice sleep?"

Barrage groaned as he came back online, his eyes blinking on to see the face of his much hated leader, Venom. He pushed him away and got to his feet, rubbing at the burns on his face.

"I don't know what's sad. That you god laid out by a retired Wrecker and his human harlot," Chop Shop chuckled, wincing a bit at the throbbing dent on his head. "Or that I did more damage to him than you."

"Like you did any better you good for nothing-" Barrage snarled, but Venom broke them apart.

"Enough, both of you. We don't have time for this." Venom said. "Our prey is weak, and is heading to the highest point in the area to escape the signal interference. We have them cornered and outnumbered."

"So are you up for the killing shot, Barrage?" Chop Shop asked.

Barrage narrowed his ruby-red eyes and stood to his full height over the suddenly nervous shorter Chop Shop. "The Wrecker left me alive. The first and last mistake he will ever make with me."

XXXXXX

The side effects of Venom's poison didn't take long to start ailing Bulkhead. Not long after Venom's surprise attack, Bulkhead started feeling weak and dizzy. His vision was starting to become blurry, and his hearing dulled a bit, like he was trying to hear underwater. It got to the point where he was having trouble standing on his own and was fighting to stay conscious.

"Come on, Bulk, stay with me!" Annie urged. She had Enyo help Bulkhead along, using her suit's flight function to slightly drag Bulkhead up the hill.

"I…don't know what's wrong with me." Bulkhead groaned. He was really beginning to regret his weight right now. His legs could barely hold him up. "I was fine just a few minutes ago."

"It was that Insecticon." Annie said, pushing her talos to its limits just trying to get the Autobot up to the caldera. They were close now. "He must've done something to you when he cut you."

"Figures. I get scratched once and I crash harder than a 90-bit computer." Bulkhead said and chuckled.

"What?"

"Here I am, thinking I've got to protect you from the Cons, and instead you've been carrying my can this whole mission. Funny how life works like that."

Annie smiled, though he couldn't see it. "Shut up and save your strength. We're almost to the top."

"I'm serious. You, along with Darren and Gina, even Kevin and Penny; you've all grown so much. Makes a mech like me proud to be fighting alongside cool kids like you."

"Seriously, Bulk, shut up. You're making me blush and I don't like blushing." She said. She turned Enyo's head towards her partner and saw Bulkhead's shutters fluttering close. "Don't konk out on me!"

She had Enyo give him a hard slap on the back of his head to wake him and it worked. "Ow!"

"Look up there," Annie pointed at the top of the volcano. They were close enough to feel the heat from the caldera and see smoke rising from its interior. "We're close, Bulkhead, just keep your head in the game. The mission comes first, right?"

"Yeah…the mission comes first." Bulkhead noded and grinned. "No bot left behind."

Annie nodded and held out her (Enyo's) hand. "You can do this. For the Minicon. For me."

'For Annie.' Bulkhead thought and grabbed offered hand, allowing Annie to lead him the rest of the way. It was a bit of a hassle climbing those last few feet, but eventually they made it to the mouth of the volcano. They nearly rejoiced, but that was cut short when a chilling laugh filled the air.

"Welcome Autobots." Venom said, standing on top of the cooled section of magma. "So glad you could join us."

Bulkhead and Annie stood back to back as Chop Shop and Barrage surrounded them. Bulkhead's vision got worse and he shook his head to clear it.

"Feeling sluggish? That's a little side effect of the neurotoxins I injected into you when I stabbed you." Venom tapped his stinger. "It's a lethal concoction. Affects your motor and cognitive functions. Messes with your vision, makes it hard to think. And after half an hour, death is the only reality you'll experience."

"Unless you can get proper treatment." Barrage grinned. "And you need to call for help first."

"And we ain't gonna let you do that." Chop Shop said. "Unless you give us the Minicon."

"Go to hell!" Bulkhead shouted.

"Have it your way. Barrage, Chop Shop, the Wrecker's mine!" Venom howled, signaling the start of the battle.

The three Insecticons transformed to beast mode and charged at their prey. Venom singled out Bulkhead and started bombarding him with hard and fast punches that kept the Autobot on the defensive. Bulkhead took his punches and swung his wrecking ball at Venom, smashing it against his face. Venom was knocked into a spin, only to spin around and draw an energo-scythe, slashing Bulkhead against the chest. The cut hurt more than it should've and Bulkhead bit back a cry of pain.

"Did I mention my toxins also increase your sensitivity to the point that a shallow cut feels like a brand on your Spark core?" Venom's mouth plate slid back to reveal a grinning maw of sharp teeth. "No? Too bad."

In the skies above them, Annie was fighting Chop Shop and Barrage. She had her hands full keeping both mechs from swarming her at once, firing her beam rifle to stave them off long enough to lock her missiles onto them.

"We're coming for you little girl!" Chop Shop's face suddenly appeared in her screen, making her jump. She fired two missiles at his upper torso and he flew back with his head covered in smoke and flames. Barrage lunged at her from behind with an energo-sword and nearly cut Enyo in two had she not weaved around the blade and peppered him with rapid fire AP rounds to force him back.

'I can't fight both of them at once!' Annie thought, torn between watching Bulkhead and her two opponents. Then Barrage appeared again, firing laser blasts from two cannons on his insect mode's back like a flying artillery unit. 'Shit!'

Enyo raised its arm to fire its beam cannons but Chop Shop, in his stag beetle form, pounced on her from below, his pincers clamping down on her arm and snapping it off like it was plastic. Annie had no time to survey the damage to her talos as Barrage descended upon her into robot mode and kicked Enyo in the chest, sending it crashing back into the caldera with a loud crash.

"Annie!" Bulkhead shouted and ran to help his partner, only for Venom to slam his knee into his face to knock him back.

"You should worry about yourself Wrecker!" Venom growled, brandishing his scythe like a robotic grim reaper.

Bulkhead tried to fire his blaster, but Venom just kicked his arm away and slammed the staff of his scythe into his head, sending him to his knees. Venom spat on Bulkhead in distaste.

"Look at you. You can't even stand and you want to help the human? Where's your sense of self-preservation?" Venom held out his hand. "Give me the panel, and this suffering will end quickly."

Bulkhead glared up at him before grabbing the outstretched arm and jumped up, slamming his head into Venom's face. Then he snatched the scythe from Venom's grasp and slashed it down on the Insecticon.

"Raaahhh!" Venom cried as his left arm was severed.

"Wreckers never surrender!" Bulkhead yelled.

Like Bulkhead, things were starting to look up for Annie. She had blinded Chop Shop by shooting out his eyes and stabbing her left arm's beam sword into his abdomen, impaling his T-cog and fuel pump in one clean motion. Barrage kicked Enyo in the face, but took a missile to his chest, exploding his chest cavity in a fiery burst. He stumbled back at Enyo stood up and stomped a large foot on Chop Shop's chest.

"Stay down, bug!" Annie growled. Her helmet was off, the protective glass cracked and a thin cut on her forehead from a piece of glass.

Chop Shop snarled and leapt up to bite at her. Annie raised Enyo's arm and swiftly jammed her sol particle coated vibro-blade into his neck, severing vital neck cables and conduits before kicking him away.

"Now that was satisfying." Annie said as she watched Chop Shop writhe on the ground, bleeding fluids and sparks. She looked around for Barrage. "Now where's…no, Bulkhead!"

Bulkhead was in the process of beating Venom in the face with his non-weapon hand when he heard Annie cry out his name. He turned to see Barrage throwing Chop Shop's spear at his back. The green Autobot knew that in his condition, he wouldn't be able to dodge in time, but that fear was replaced by something else. Enyo had thrown itself directly in the spear's path and Bulkhead's Spark stopped cold as he saw the spear sink into Enyo's chest, directly into its cockpit.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream Bulkhead heard from Enyo's speakers was something he would never forget. It ended as quickly as it started and he saw the black talos fall onto its back, the spear sticking out of its chest.

"ANNIE!" Bulkhead's roar actually made Barrage step back in fear as the former Wrecker glared at him in pure hatred.

Barrage quickly suppressed his fear and savagely beat his fists against his damaged chest like an animal. "Come at me, Autobot! You'll join her soon enough!"

Bulkhead snarled and threw Venom's beaten body at Barrage. Without a care for his "leader", Barrage kicked Venom aside, only to find Bulkhead charging at him like a mad bull with Venom's scythe in hand. Startled, Barrage tried to fire his concussion blasters, but Bulkhead was already too close; a single slash separated Barrage's gun arm from his body and another downward slash would've him in two had he not moved a few inches back. That split second move helped him avoid death as the energo-scythe dug into his shoulder, down his chest (just barely missing his Spark) and to his crotch. He was still cut in half, but was barely alive to see Bulkhead turning away from him before he went into stasis lock.

Bulkhead ran over to the still motionless Enyo and pulled the spear from its cockpit. Ignoring the blood coating the blade, he tossed it aside and called the Ark. "Sparkplug, get us out of here, now!"

" _Bulkhead?"_ Ratchet replied. " _What's wrong?"_

"JUST BRIDGE US OUT OF HERE! ANNIE'S HURT!"

Seconds later, a ground bridge appeared and Bulkhead gently picked up Enyo and started limping towards the portal. "Come on, girl, stay with me. We're getting out of this together."

Venom weakly lifted his head and glared at the two Autobots that had utterly humiliated him. He pushed himself upright with his one arm and pointed it at Bulkhead, shifting it into an electro-cannon.

"No…survivors…" He spat and fired a charge electrical beam at the Autobot. The beam hit Bulkhead in the middle of his back and sent him and Annie flying into the ground bridge as it disappeared.

XXXXXX

Bulkhead and Enyo flew out of the portal and crashed onto the floor of the shuttle bay before a horrified Ratchet and Sparkplug. Ratchet ran over to his friends and saw the smoking hole in Bulkhead's back and the blood leaking from Enyo's ruptured cockpit.

"No…" He whispered in horror.

* * *

 **Pretty intense chapter, huh? I hope you liked reading this chapter, because it was fun writing it. And I just want to announce that I have launched my website for Transformers Titan on wordpress. The web address will be on my profile. I will be posting everything on there from book 1, along with bios and world elements, and I will also be revising Awakening from scratch. The first chapter is already up, and though the background is different, the chapters coming up will largely be the same. I want to promote the series for others not on to read and I hope you guys can help me out. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	30. Pain

Chapter 30-Pain

"Excalibur," Gina breathed as she held the mythical sword in her hands. It felt heavy, like a sword its size would be, though Darren insisted that it felt light as a metal pipe when he held it, and she had to wear gloves after learning that it burned at the touch when held by someone other than its intended wielder. But the fact that she was holding a sword once thought to be just a myth was something she was still struggling to wrap her mind around this discovery. "Just when I think I couldn't love you anymore, Darren."

"You're making me blush." Darren grinned.

The children were taking a breather after their harrowing battle against Skyquake. Sara stood guard while Optimus and Sunstreaker studied Skyquake's body. Sunstreaker picked up the severed head and bounced it in his palm like a grotesque ball, not even fazed, but surprised at how clean the death was.

"How the hell did they manage to kill this guy by themselves?" Sunstreaker questioned, purely astonished. He didn't think that an organic would beat a Decepticon with just their bare hands. Even more advanced aliens needed heavy weaponry to fight of a Cybertronian (something the Galactic Council had in spades). "They don't even have any plasma weapons on them!"

"I told you, Sunstreaker, do not underestimate these humans. They may be primitive by our standards, but they're resourceful, and can prove dangerous when cornered." Something Megatron is starting to realize, Optimus mentally added. He walked over to the young couple and leaned down. "How are you two feeling?"

"We're better now that we've had some rest. Can't say the same for our talos though." Gina said as she sat on top of a rock. "I'm surprised I lasted that long against Skyquake by myself. I thought I was done for, for a moment."

"You can chalk that up to your amazing survival instincts…and your inhuman powers." Darren pecked her cheek and looked at Excalibur. "And we won thanks to this little souvenir."

Optimus's eyes focused on the ornate long sword that hummed with power, a feeling no unlike Mjolnir. "Darren, where did you-"

" _Optimus, come in, this is Sparkplug!"_ Sparkplug's panicked voice actually startled Optimus before he replied.

"Sparkplug, it's me. What's the situation?" Optimus asked.

" _It's Bulkhead and Annie! They're both back from their mission and are seriously hurt! You guys need to get back to base now!"_

XXXXXX

When they returned to the Ark on the first ground bridge they could catch, the shuttle bay was in chaos. Ratchet and Flashpoint were standing over Bulkhead's still body, pumping thousands of volts of electricity to get a reaction from his flat-lined vitals. Darren looked at the Enyo lying on the floor and was horrified to see the cockpit torn open and bloodstained.

"Annie!" Darren ran forward, but Sparkplug and High Wire held him back.

"Ratchet, what happened?" Optimus questioned.

"Bulkhead and Annie were ambushed by a group of Insecticon alphas. Bulkhead's suffering from a neurotoxin that's wreaking havoc on his systems and I had Longarm and Grindor take Annie to the med bay." Ratchet quickly explained. After one more shock, he checked Bulkhead's vitals. He grimaced at the Autobot's weak vitals and stood up. "Optimus, help me with him."

Optimus helped Ratchet pick up their fellow Autobot and slowly dragged Bulkhead out of the room. Darren blinked back tears as he started worrying about his sister. "This is a nightmare. If I hadn't let her go alone…"

"It wouldn't have made a difference." Sparkplug said kindly. "Barrage and Venom already did a lot of damage on them after they reached the panel."

"Barrage?" Gina stared at Sparkplug in shock. "But Ratchet and Bumblebee left him buried inside a cave!"

"Well he's out now, and he's got some friends." High Wire shook his head with a tired expression. "This doesn't bode well for anybody."

Gina glanced at the quiet Darren and took his hand in hers. "Darren, are you…?"

"No, Gina, I'm not alright." Darren said, his shoulders shaking. Gina held him tightly as he started crying uncontrollably.

XXXXXX

"Four Minicons, each in different parts of the world," Megatron growled, glaring at the assembled Decepticons lined up before him. "Four opportunities to get the upper hand. And only Nightshade has returned with something other than an excuse!"

The line-up of Cons (excluding Dreadwing) looked away in shame. Megatron was far from happy at how the operation went, and he was even more incensed at learning of Skyquake's death. What stung even more was that they outnumbered the Autobots. Megatron walked up the line before stopping at Venom, who hadn't even healed from his fight with Bulkhead. Even still, Venom met Megatron's glare with unwavering eyes, still showing a level of confidence the others lacked.

"What's your excuse, Venom?" Megatron sneered.

"None, my lord." Venom bowed his head. "But the green Autobot has been…terminated."

Megatron and the other Decepticons stared at him in shock at his declaration, before the warlord smiled. "Perhaps this day wasn't a complete loss after all."

"How can we be so sure of that, lord Megatron?" Knockout questioned, crossing his arms. "It has been a while since anyone's extinguished an Autobot Spark."

"That's because an Insecticon warrior has not been introduced onto the battlefield." Venom hissed.

Knockout snorted. "Please, it took three of you to fight a fat mech and a prepubescent girl in a battlesuit. And from what I hear, one of you bugs got buried alive last year by a medic and a scout!"

Venom snarled and brandished his claws, but Megatron stopped the argument with a sharp look. Megatron walked around to stare hard into Venom's eyes for any sign of deceit. This was probably the first time they've had a casualty on the Autobot's side, and he needed to be sure it was a confirmed kill.

"Venom, are you absolutely sure that you killed the one called Bulkhead?" He questioned.

"Yes, my lord," Venom bowed. "I saw the light die in his eyes by my own hand."

XXXXXX

Bulkhead was in stasis on a medical berth in the med bay, still no better than when he arrived an hour earlier. There were tubes attached to his body that were pumping fresh energon into him, while Longarm worked on closing what wounds he could get to. Optimus stared at his body for a good thirty minutes as Ratchet finished his assessment.

"I've induced stasis lock and Longarm's working on repairing his severe damages." Ratchet said.

"How is he?" Optimus asked. Ratchet sighed.

"Bulkhead's suffered from a complete system-wide shutdown on a sub-micronic level. The neurotoxin has ravaged his body's ability to repair itself. I'm flushing it out of his system now, but I can't begin to operate until he has regained some strength."

Optimus gave a distasteful grunt before glancing at the other side of the room where the humans were. Annie was also on life support wrapped up in bandages and hooked up to a heart monitor with a breathing mask. Darren and Grindor were taking it the worst, having not left her side since Ratchet allowed them in. Gina, High Wire and Sureshock comforted their friends, though it did little to ease their pain. Ratchet grimaced, looking at the blood still on his large metal hands.

"I don't know who's worse off-Bulkhead or Annie." He said. "She barely avoided getting impaled by that spear, and she's lost a lot of blood by the time Bulkhead was dragging her to the ground bridge. And her wounds are…she's not going to come out of this in one piece, Optimus."

Optimus closed his eyes and rubbed his nasal ridge as Ratchet walked past him. "I'm going to the hospital with Debbie to get some blood packs for Annie's transfusion. Flashpoint will oversee matters here."

"Understood," Prime said softly. "Stay safe, old friend."

Gina watched Ratchet leave the room and sighed. She held Darren's hand gingerly and gave Annie a silent prayer as she stood up and turned to Sara. "Watch over them for me, please?" She requested of the android.

"I will, Ms. Gina." Sara said.

"Where are you going?" Sureshock asked.

"To help Ratchet. I…need some fresh air." Gina gave one last look at Annie's comatose form and ran after the medic. "Ratchet, wait up!"

XXXXXXX

On the Nemesis, things weren't as merry as one would think the Cons would be after hearing news of an Autobot's demise. Mainly because Venom was milking it for all it's worth. The other Cons were already getting tired of his bragging, along with Chop Shop's constant debasement of everyone save Megatron, and Barrage's general unlikability. All because Venom managed to kill an Autobot and gained the Decepticons' first kill on Terra.

"You should have seen the look on the Wrecker's face as I shot him in the back." Venom laughed. He lumbered through the halls with Chop Shop and Barrage in tow. "The horror on his face as his victory was snatched away from him was gold!"

"We know, you've said it half a dozen times already." Barrage grumbled.

Chop Shop chuckled. "What's the matter? Grumpy that you didn't get to see the money shot? You had front row seats after all. Both of them!"

Barrage hissed in Chop Shop's cackling face, but Venom pushed him back. "There will be none of that. We Insecticons are apex predators, and as such, we do not have petty squabbles like those lower thugs lord Megatron employs."

"If by lower thugs," Demolishor stepped in front of them, arms crossed and posture straight and tall. "You don't mean bots like me, right?"

Venom stomped towards him until they were nose to nose. Their difference in height was very evident as Venom glared down at him. "What is it to you, soldier boy?"

"Don't act so superior because you killed one Autobot. You stupid bugs had been festering in your own filth for centuries while we were fighting on the front lines!" Demolishor said, not even flinching as he glared into Venom's eyes. "If there's one thing that pisses me off, it's cowards who take credit for things us stronger people have done with courage!"

"You primitive drone!" Venom backhanded Demolishor and sent him skidding down the hall. He charged at the general, jaws open and hissing. "I'll devour you whole!"

There was a flash of purple light between him and Demolishor and Skywarp and Thundercracker appeared, the former firing his shoulder cannons into Venom's chest to keep him in place. Thundercracker went to help Demolishor to his feet.

"You don't attack one of our bots on our turf you stupid beetle!" Thundercracker growled.

Venom snarled as Chop Shop and Barrage joined his side, weapons ready. Demolishor and the two Seekers also got ready to fight. The barrels of their guns and blasters heated up, but before the first shot could be fired, a strict voice cut the confrontation short.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Everyone froze as Nightshade marched down the hall, standing between the two groups. They lowered their weapons out of fear of an instant execution for firing on a superior officer. Venom stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Lady Nightshade, we were just-"

"Not a word, Venom. We don't have time to play alpha male amongst ourselves. Not when our ranks are still low." Nightshade said, her deadly gaze cowing the cocky Insecticon. "Take your Insecticons and head out to your designated patrol area. Demolishor, Thundercracker, Skywarp, back to your quarters and remain there for the rest of the day."

"What?" Demolishor exclaimed before he could stop himself. "But sir, we didn't-"

"Would you rather I stuff you all in the brig to tear each other apart?" She hissed. "Or maybe I should kill you all now. Put you down like animals, since you fools like to act like ones! Do as you are told, soldier!"

They all stiffened and saluted with a chorus of "Yes Nightshade!" before scattering down the halls and vacating her immediate area. Nightshade vented sharply and rubbed the sides of her head to quell the growing headache in her processor.

"Impressive," Leader-1 said as he walked up to her. "You certainly live up to your beast mode's reputation."

"Shut up, Leader-1." She sighed.

"Where were you? I know you were damaged, but that dip in the CR Chamber shouldn't have taken that long." He inquired.

"I was checking up on Dreadwing. His brother's death is still effecting him and I'm trying to keep him sane." She said.

Leader-1 hummed. "How exactly?"

"How else? He talked, I listened." Nightshade scowled and stomped past him. "Now leave me alone. I'm tired and not in the mood for anyone's scrap."

XXXXXXX

Debbie's hands gripped Ratchet's steering wheel tightly as they drove down the road leading into Tranquility. Gina sat next to her, looking outside at the tall trees passing them by. Ratchet was also silent, not knowing what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was set the older Radcliffe off.

"Debbie, how was Annie?" Gina asked. Debbie glanced at her before looking back at the road.

"She's stabilized thanks to Flashpoint and Longarm, but she's lost a lot of blood. We need to get her a blood transfusion to replace the liters she's lost." Debbie bit her lip, trying not to cry. She had to keep her composure for her co-workers at the hospital. "But…even if she does make a full recovery, she won't be the same anymore."

"…I'm so sorry, Debbie." Ratchet said softly.

"No, it wasn't your fault. It's…" Debbie took a deep breath. "Let's just focus on getting the blood, okay?"

"Of course." He replied.

As they had their quiet moment, miles above the town, a lone Insecticon was flying above the forest, snarling and twitching. Barrage had only flown near this area by chance, but as soon as he did, he caught the scent of the Autobot he had been dying to see…and maul to death.

"The medic…" Barrage growled, a hiss spewing from his vocoder. He zeroed in on the scent and flew towards the unsuspecting humans. "I'm going to enjoy this!"

"Gina, are you and Darren alright?" Debbie asked, surprising Gina.

"Um, yeah, we're fine. Darren's, trying to process Annie's condition, but I'm healthy as a horse." Gina gave her a small smile and flexed her muscles. "Superhuman physiology and all that."

Debbie smiled. The girl was always trying to relieve the tension in the worst moments. Looking at her now, she couldn't see the superhuman powers that lied within her. Sure, she looked taller and had had some bulk around her arms, but she was still the same girl she grew up with. Debbie had to admire Gina's strength. She was amazed at how the girl was able to remain the same after almost dying. It made her think of all the things she and the twins went through with the Autobots. Debbie was afraid of something like this happening, but as much as she wanted to take the kids away from all this, she knew it wouldn't change a thing. Both the Decepticons and OZ had them on radar, and there was no escaping that. Any hope of having normal lives for them went out the window the moment they found those Minicons.

"We're almost at the city limits." Ratchet said. "Just direct me to the hospital and we'll take care of-"

Ratchet grunted as the pavement behind him exploded, nearly tipping him over. Debbie and Gina were jostled a bit in their seats and the blonde inhuman looked out the window to see a giant emerald rhinoceros beetle flying towards them like a bird of prey.

"An Insecticon?" Gina yelled.

"Die Autobot!" Barrage fired electrical bolts from his long, curved horn, blasting holes into the road in a flurry of destructive attempts to kill Ratchet.

"I was worried about this when I heard about the Insecticons!" Ratchet said as he pushed himself to drive at full speed. "Barrage wants some payback."

"I thought we buried him inside a cave back in Europa!" Gina said.

"Well, it seems Megatron has dug him back out!"

Ratchet tried to lose Barrage, but the Insecticon was dead set on tearing him to pieces, easily matching Ratchet's speed and firing powerful blasts to at least disable him. Ratchet tried contacting the Ark, but couldn't get a response.

"I can't reach the Ark! something's jamming my comm!" He said.

"Electromagnetic disturbance. Barrage must be emitting EMP waves from his horn!" Gina cursed.

Debbie screamed as a nearby tree was blasted to pieces and sprayed sharp pieces of wood against the window. When a laser bolt nearly scorched one of his tires, Ratchet knew he couldn't simply throw Barrage off his trail. "Gina, I need you to distract him!"

Debbie almost asked what could Gina do against a giant robot bug shooting lightning bolts at them, until she saw Gina's eyes glow a crystal blue as she leaned her upper body out the window. A distortion halo manifested around her head before whipping out and throwing half a dozen energy spheres at Barrage. They all detonated at once around the alpha, engulfing him in a cloud of blue flames.

"Oh my…" Debbie gasped at the destructive display of power. She had never seen an esper, not even Darren, do something this flashy. And Gina had this power on her at all times? Gina released a jagged bolt of energy with a chain of azure spheres blossoming along the length of it, warping and distorting everything they touched. It goes without saying that the noise they gave off was like hearing a dozen thunderclaps one after the other.

"Kraahh!" Barrage took the halo full force and the explosions made him crash into the road, further damaging the smooth asphalt and rolling along the ground with his audio sensors literally nothing but white noise. Ratchet used this chance to get the girls into town and gain some distance between them and their hunter.

XXXXXXX

Ratchet didn't stop driving until they were deep inside the town, having drove all the way to the hospital. There Ratchet parked himself alongside the other ambulances and waited or Debbie to get the blood packets from the building.

"So we're clear for now." Ratchet sighed. His holomatter materialized, a middle aged man with short yellow hair and wrinkles on his face and hands dressed in a paramedic's uniform. He looked just as tired as the Autobot felt. "There's enough local cover for me to blend in and the radio waves should mask my signal."

"What do we do?" Gina asked. "And please don't tell me the plan is to just hide."

"I'm sorry, Gina, but there's little I can do without blowing my cover. Barrage is doing something to block my comm signal so I can't contact the Ark. We're on our own."

"Can't you use your emergency beacon?"

"Already did, but I don't know if the signal went through yet." He replied. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen to him. Barrage of all bots was hunting them down in broad daylight and he wasn't concerned at all about blowing their cover.

Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long before Debbie came back with the case of frozen blood packets. It seemed those credentials Ratchet forged for her had worked wonders. She ran over to Ratchet and got in as the holomatter vanished, allowing her into the front seat. She shut the door and held the case to her chest, looking a bit frazzled. "That was tense."

"Did it go okay?" Gina asked.

"It took some bad acting, but I got the blood." Debbie held up the case. "Those security clearance badges really saved my bacon. How are things here?"

"It seems he's lost our trail." Ratchet explained. "Now we just need to find a way to contact the others-"

A screeching howl filled the air as Barrage came falling from the sky in his beast mode. The giant beetle smashed through a small shop, sending debris flying everywhere as he fired his horn blaster without pause.

"Where are you doctor?" Barrage hissed, stomping along the ground in his search for the medic. "I'll find you, so there's no use hiding!"

It was bad luck that Barrage caught sight of the hospital and the ambulances parked in front of the ER driveway. People ran and screamed as he barreled through the street, smashing cars underfoot or tossing them aside with his horns as he fired his blaster at the parking lot. Debbie and Gina screamed as a bolt destroyed the ambulance near them.

"What's he doing?!" Debbie screamed.

"Process of elimination." Ratchet answered grimly. "Local rules of engagement don't apply to this beast. We need to move!"

Ratchet sped out of the lot, narrowly avoiding a blast that scorched his right side, blasting a hole in the section of the hospital behind him. Growling and snarling, Barrage gave chase, taking the bait as they went outside of town. Ratchet ignored the terrified screams of the humans as he made a hard left onto the road leading out of Tranquility. Gina looked back and saw Barrage gaining on them, running on all fours in some sick way of using his fear factor.

"He's getting closer!" Debbie said.

Ratchet inwardly cursed and gave a brief "sorry" to the girls before ejecting them from his seats. He transformed and spun around to land a punch in Barrage's face, grabbing his horn and slamming him into a tree.

"So you've finally gained a spine, eh medic?" Barrage grinned.

"You idiot, that are you doing? You've exposed yourself to the humans. That's against rules of engagement!" Ratchet yelled.

"I could care less about those little mud dolls you care for so much. The only rule of engagement is to kill before being killed." Barrage switched to bipedal form and cracked his knuckles. "Guess which one are you."

"I doubt Megatron would be happy about breach in _his_ protocol."

"He'll forgive me when I bring him your head!" Barrage lunged at Ratchet, jaws exposed and teeth bloody from previous "meals". But a burst of blue flames exploded against his side, making him stumble onto his front. "Who dares strike me?"

"I do!" Gina ran at him, eyes glowing brilliantly. "Remember me?"

"Gina, no!" Ratchet yelled.

"Let her fight, doctor. I promise, I'll make her death slow." Barrage hummed.

Ratchet rammed into his back and they hit the ground tumbling. The medic threw a hard punch to Barrage's jaw, but Barrage gained some leverage on him and began punching him repeatedly. Gina was about to fire her halo when an ion burst hit Barrage in the chest and sent him sprawling.

"Step away from our friends." Optimus Prime demanded as he, Prowl, Wheeljack and Bumblebee exited the ground bridge.

"Go to hell, Prime!" Barrage roared. He knew he was at a disadvantage right now, but his pride would not allow him to turn tail and run. Instead, he went for the least threatening target near him. "I'm not leaving until I've had my taste of human blood!"

Barrage's mouth plate slid apart to reveal his serrated teeth and he lunged for Gina and Debbie. Wheeljack was on him in a heartbeat, lashing out with his energo-whip and ensnared him by the neck. Barrage was restrained, but he kept pushing forward, reaching out toward the girls with every ounce of his strength. The opposing forces pushing and pulling at his body threatened to snap his neck like a twig, but the Insecticon was far from sane at this point. Finally, Optimus had enough and took out his axe.

Debbie flinched as she saw the Prime wordlessly slash his axe across Barrage's neck, beheading him in a surprisingly gory fountain of blue fluids she presumed was energon spewing from where his head once was. Barrage's still gaping maw fell to the ground with a dull thump, and his body collapsed to its knees.

"That was for Bulkhead and Annie." Wheeljack said coldly.

"Are you three alright?" Optimus asked.

"We're fine, Optimus." Ratchet leaned against a tree to cool his systems. That was more than enough fun for him in one day. "How did you find us? Did you get my beacon?"

"You mean, before or after the breaking news story of a giant robo-beetle blowing up a hospital?" Bumblebee said.

Ratchet grimaced. He didn't think that Barrage would so blatantly break his cover like that, and in the middle of town during rush hour at that! As if things weren't hard enough for them already.

"Um, excuse me?" The Autobots turned to Debbie, who was walking gingerly towards them on wobbly knees with her case pressed to her chest. "Can we get back to the Ark? I need to operate on Annie, now."

"Of course, Debbie." Optimus nodded. "Prowl, help me with Barrage's body. We can't leave him out here to cause anymore damage, in life or in death."

"Roger that, Prime." Prowl said and helped Prime carry Barrage's body to the ground bridge.

Ratchet and Gina shared a glance, relieved to be alive after that tense situation. Barrage's reappearance was a horrid reunion they'd rather forget as soon as possible.

XXXXXXX

At the Nemesis, Megatron was absolutely livid after learning of Barrage's sudden engagement at death at the hands of the Autobots. Not to mention his rampage was now being broadcasted across the internet thanks to some humans with camera phones in their hands. With the instigator of this disaster dead, Megatron pinned the blame on the next one responsible-his leader.

"You fool!" Megatron roared in Venom's face. "How could you let this happen? This was supposed to be a recon mission!"

"I-I'm sorry, lord Megatron," Venom stammered. "B-but while Barrage's actions were rash-"

"Rash? He exposed himself to the humans and is now on his way to becoming a fragging internet sensation!" Megatron shouted. "Not only did he willingly breach protocol, he also got killed. And for what? Some vendetta against an Autobot medic?"

Venom could only look away in shame. There was no excuse for Barrage's actions. This was insubordination through and through. And there wasn't even anything to show for such a risk.

"Let me make this perfectly clear, Venom. You killed an Autobot-one!" Megatron held up a single finger to show his point. "And butchered his human pet. That is hardly reason to see yourself as some unbeatable alpha. Don't let it get to your head, and don't start causing havoc within my ranks on my ship! We all are Decepticons, and thus, you all answer to me, Insecticon or not. Do you understand?"

"Yes, lord Megatron." Venom said, bowing his head. Megatron waved him off in dismissal and Venom walked off the bridge in shame. He trudged back to his quarters in a slow gait, stopping to glare at a grinning Knockout around the corner.

"Unstoppable warriors, huh?" Knockout chuckled, making sure to show all his teeth. Venom growled as the medic strolled down the hall arrogantly and punched a hole in the wall. Misfortune was just molesting him today, wasn't it?

XXXXXXX

Agent Red was livid. He marched through the halls of the Skywatch regional base located in a seemingly derelict apartment building, making a straight line towards the information center. Along the way, Tom Bancheck ran into him and they walked down the hall together.

"I take it you saw the news?" He asked.

"Yes. A giant robot beetle rampages through Tranquility, Dakote and there are blurry photos of it fighting another robot outside of town. Things are heating up with our alien war mongers." Red frowned.

It was only a matter of time for things to have escalated. His organization, Skywatch, had been studying these NBEs for years, watching and waiting for reports on these beings since a live one destroyed one of their bases and massacred nearly all of its personnel. Following that incident, there were numerous strange events happening worldwide, the biggest being the alignment of the nine planets in the Sol system and the reported destruction of three towns in Canadia by some mysterious beam of light. Recent encounters, including the one in Attilan, only increased the need for the Hunter program.

"Eureka" was the codename for the two animalistic NBEs found buried in Mount Kalahai following a massive volcanic explosion. They were found within the remains of what was believed to be a secret alien bunker of sorts, though its purpose was unknown. They were inert, deactivated, which allowed scientists to wire their neural circuitry with a control program that granted them dominion over the two beast bots. After weeks of study, Alexander Powers had brought up the idea of using the robots to find the others, since they probably could sniff them out from the recent hot spot in Yuktobania and Attilan. Rebecca protested letting the specimens run loose, but Red was getting desperate. They needed information before things really kicked off and they were taken out before the fight even began.

Red and Howard entered the information center where the two Decepticons were being controlled and gave his orders. "Recall the Hunters immediately and get me an urgent status update on the Eureka acquisitions."

"Yes sir." One of the techies said. He relayed the command signal, but an error symbol flashed on the screen. He tried again, but got the same result, something Bancheck noticed.

"Problem?"

"I think so. The hunters aren't responding." The techie said. "There's some kind of competing signal."

Red's poker face skillfully hid his growing agitation. "Can you block it?"

"Negative. Where its coming from, its strong. Far stronger than our own implants."

"Extraterrestrial." Red growled.

XXXXXXX

Alone in his room, twelve year old Brad White excitedly watched the new coverage on the giant robot's rampage through Tranquility. He didn't know what this was about, but he really hoped that it was not a talos. Alien robots going nuts in the middle of a city was a boy's dream come true! Little did he know that one such robot was right under the same roof as him. Tucked away in the boy's bookcase was a small blue microcassette with the most peculiar purple symbol on its front.

"Soundwave…online…"

* * *

 **There we have it. Soundwave makes a comeback, Skywatch is scared out of their minds, Barrage lost his mind (and his head) and Bulkhead and Annie are teetering at death's door. Next chapter we'll get to see the end of this mini-arc and I'll start updating chapters in Distant Stars, focusing on Blurr, Rodimus and Sixshot. And be sure to check out the newly created website for this series, just cross-reference Transformers Titan with -because I have no idea how to put links on my profile. Thank you for reading and please leave a review.**


	31. Fury

Chapter 31-Fury

Beep. Beep. Beep.

That god forsaken beeping was the first thing Annie heard when she regained consciousness from her long, dreamless sleep. She still hovered between the dream world and her waking one, but the world around her slowly came into focus when she opened her eyes. It didn't take long for her to realize that she was in a room, white room-the Ark's med bay? Annie groaned and tried to move, but her body felt heavy and slow and sore…Gaia, did it feel sore. The previous days thoughts slowly returned to her, and her heart rate picked up when she remembered what happened to her and Bulkhead.

"B-Bulk…head…" Her throat felt so dry, like sand paper. And she couldn't raise her voice any more than a whisper. "Any…one…here…?"

"Annie?" She heard Grindor's voice on her right and turned just in time to see his little form running out the room yelling like a madman.

'And people call me loud.' Annie thought. That was when she noticed that one of her eyes was dark. 'Why is my left eye covered?'

After a few minutes, she regained enough strength to push herself up onto her pillow, though it was hard when she found that she could only move her left arm. Thinking it was just asleep from lying on it too long, Annie paid it no mind as her brother, sister and the rest of her friends entered the room.

"Annie!" Darren gave her a relieved smile with red, teary eyes. He ran over to her and gave her hand a squeeze, struggling not to pull her into a bear hug. "Thank god you're alright."

"Define alright," Annie said after chugging down the water Sureshock handed her. "I feel like crap, guys. I can barely see, and half of my body feels numb."

As soon as she said that, everyone else tensed up, and Debbie bit her lip to keep from sobbing. She quickly caught on to this. "What's with those long faces? And where's Bulkhead? Did Ratchet fix him up already?"

Gina chose her words carefully. "Annie…Bulkhead's not doing so well, and neither are you. You two were in very bad shape when you came back to the Ark."

"Bad shape? I know Bulkhead was poisoned, but he was still okay when we fought those damn bugs. Then…" Annie trailed off as she remembered something. Barrage throwing a spear and her moving Enyo to defend Bulkhead's blind spot. She remembered her cockpit shaking and her front monitor shattering as a giant blade cut through it…the searing, agonizing pain that made her scream to the point of passing out…

"Annie? Annie, are you okay?" Debbie asked.

"You're looking really pale." Grindor noted. He reached forward and nervously tried to get her to lie down. "Maybe you should get some more re-"

"Take me to Bulkhead." Annie said with a shaky breath. "Take me to Bulkhead, right now."

"Annie," High Wire said. "Calm down or you'll aggravate your wounds-"

"Take me to him now damn it!" She shouted. Annie pushed Grindor away and sat back up, nearly falling on her side when she leaned on her right side. "And why the hell is my arm so numb…?"

As she sat up, the sheet fell from her body, giving her the answer she was looking for…but wasn't expecting at all. Annie's breath grew labored as she tried to move her right arm…only to find nothing there. "W-what is this?"

From her shoulder downwards, her right arm was gone, and now that she was more aware, she noticed that she couldn't feel much of her left eye behind her bandages. It was just…gone. "My arm. Where's my arm!"

She clawed at the smooth stump where her shoulder began, trying to wish back her arm into existence, but all she could feel was that alien deformity on her body. Unable to take it anymore, Annie let out a scared and horrified scream that could be heard throughout the entire Ark.

XXXXXX

For two days she was asleep, completely dead to the world along with Bulkhead. According to Ratchet, Venom had taken a pot shot at Bulkhead's back that finally unraveled all the damage he was suffering from as a result of the poison, nearly killing him. As for Annie, the spear Barrage had thrown pierced her cockpit, severing her arm; another few inches and it would have impaled her through the chest. The shrapnel sent flying her way from the impact stabbed into her chest and left eye, making that useless as well. She passed out from shock before the full extent of the pain registered.

Annie still couldn't believe what happened. Her Enyo was practically useless with its cockpit totaled, and she wouldn't be able to pilot it anyway with only one arm. But what concerned her more was Bulkhead's condition.

The former Wrecker was still in stasis lock on the recharge slab in the med bay. Annie stood beside him in a fluffy blue bathrobe, crippled and shaken, watching the steady beeping of her friend's vitals on the monitor. Ratchet and Optimus stood behind her.

"How…is he?" She asked.

"Bulkhead is stable…for now. But that neurotoxin did some serious damage to his systems and fuel lines." Ratchet said. "But once I finish replacing his tainted energon, I'll be able to make a complete assessment."

Jazz poked his head into the room. "Boss bot, I just got a call from Springer. He's on his way."

Annie glared up at him. "What, you're all giving up on Bulkhead already?!"

"No one's giving up on Bulkhead, Annie." Arcee said calmly. "It's just that Springer and Bulkhead were close. He'd want to be here."

"I know that!" Annie yelled at her before giving a few coughs.

"That's enough excitement for one day. Let's get you back to bed." Ratchet escorted Annie back to the human side of the room. Annie stared back forlornly at Bulkhead's sleeping form.

About twenty minutes later, Springer's ship landed near the Ark and the Wrecker commander had practically drove his way into the med bay. Optimus, Arcee and Ratchet greeted him, but he paid them no mind as he stepped up to Bulkhead's beside.

"How is he, doc?" Springer asked him in a tight voice.

"Not good, Springer. The toxins alone had ruined his body's ability repair systems and nearly infected his vital organs. He was keeping himself moving through sheer force of will." The medic explained. "Despite working on him, I don't know if he can make a full recovery from this."

Springer frowned deeply. "I've seen you work. You're a mistro!"

"Bulkhead has suffered from a complete systems failure and flatlined for almost five minutes, and I can't tell if he's suffered from cranial deterioration on top of a poisoned power line system." He sighed. "I can't even begin to operate on him until he's regained some strength."

Springer looked at Bulkhead and clenched his teeth. The life of a Wrecker was a hard one; you only got out through three ways-death, mental trauma or dishonorable discharge. They took missions that left thousands insane or traumatized and killed twice as many. Bulkhead was too much of a softie to handle the heavier missions the Wrecker's took, the morally ambiguous ones that would give bots like Bumblebee nightmares for stellar cycles. He left to work under less strenuous bots like Prime, something Springer was glad for. And still he…

"You gonna tell me who did this to him?" Springer growled. He was asking all three of them, but his bright gaze was on Optimus the whole time.

Optimus returned his stare unwaveringly. "At this time, I think it would be more important to focus on Bulkhead's recovery, rather than revenge."

Springer didn't shout or yell, as his tense silence was more than enough. "You do that."

He pushed past them and marched out of the room, leaving behind a concerned Arcee. "He's going to go after them, you know." She told Prime.

"Yes," Optimus agreed. "And I don't think we could stop him if we tried."

XXXXXX

In the forest surrounding Mount Saint Hillary, multiple trees were being felled in quick succession. Springer was practicing his daily sword techniques, something he gleaned from his time of training with Master Yoketron. Despite his large size, he spun and flipped with his sword twirling around him, keeping a firm grip on the handle in a way only a master swordsman could manage. These were maneuvers he knew by Spark, techniques he ingrained into his processor. It was all second nature to him. But it was a great way to vent positively to avoid punching someone's lights out.

Springer had lost many good bots over his long career as a Wrecker. Friends, lovers, drinking buddies; it was a job that demanded a lot from you and more often than not, the payoff was slightly less than disappointing. Too much. Bulkhead left on his own accord, a rare thing to do in a group where death was the most common form of discharge. Springer ratted on him for leaving, but he knew the big guy wasn't a coward. Bulkhead was a softie at heart, and many of the Wreckers were borderline sociopaths, Impactor among them. It was only a matter of time before the inherent madness that permeated the Wreckers drove him away. Springer thought that Bulkhead would outlive him one day, but with all this slag happening…

"Frag it all!" He stabbed his sword into a tree and gave a frustrated yell. "I'm going to find the glitch who did this and tear him apart!"

"You and me both."

Springer spun around, drawing his double-barreled plasma gun and aiming it at the speaker, only to see that it was Annie. She was dressed in casual clothes-a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with the right sleeve hanging limply at her side. Springer heard Arcee mention that the girl had gotten seriously hurt protecting Bulkhead. He should thank her in the future, when he wasn't scolding her for walking around with those injuries.

"What do you want, kid?" Springer asked, folding up his gun.

"Seeing how you were doing." Annie said, looking around at the circle of fallen trees around them. "Nice moves for a big guy."

"How did you manage to find me?"

Annie jerked a thumb behind her at Grindor, who stood by a tree farther back. "He's my helper for now until I can walk around without breaking into spontaneous crying fits. Still trying to get used to the whole one arm-one eye thing."

Springer sighed and attached his sword to his back. "Go back to the Ark, Annie. You'll need your rest if you want to make a full recovery."

"I'm never going to make a full recovery!" She shouted, her green eye flashing. "I lost an arm and an eye. I'll never be 100 percent again, and neither will Bulkhead!"

Springer looked down at Annie. He could see the bottled up rage in her eye, how powerful they were. Bulkhead would always shower praise about this girl during one of their talks over the comm and he wondered what about this girl made Bulkhead so proud. He could partially see why now.

"Annie, rest assure, I'm going to find who did this to the both of you and tear him a new one." He promised.

"Take me with you." She suddenly demanded.

"What? No!" Grindor protested. "Annie, you're not healthy enough to go out yet!"

"He's right. I'm not dragging an injured child along one of my missions." Springer said. "Don't worry, when I find out who jumped our boy, I'll give him a beating he won't walk away from."

Annie narrowed her eye and said, "I know who did it."

Springer and Grindor paused, looking at her. Against his better judgment, Springer asked, "Who?"

"Take me with you," She said. "And I'll tell you everything."

For a child, this girl certainly had the mind of a Decepticon, Springer mused. Heaven help this world when she becomes a teenager.

XXXXXX

Megatron, Nightshade and Knockout stood in the med lab with the Race team, who were retrained on the medical berth and still recovering from Knockout's operation on them. "Are you sure they're tagged?"

"Yes, lord Megatron. These little guys can now be tracked and located in case we get another heist like before." Knockout promised. "I've even upgraded it so we can track their signals if they're in orbit, so no guessing games the next time around."

"Yet despite that, I know you'll still manage to lose us you red pepper fragger." Downshift spat at the medic.

"Hold your tongue, Minicon." Nightshade hissed, glaring down at the team. "This will go quickly and smoothly as long as you cooperate. Don't make this harder than it already has to be."

"Don't worry, it'll get harder without our provocation." Indy replied.

"Enough of this," Megatron growled, pushing Nightshade and Knockout aside to loom over the Minicons. "You three now belong to me. We are far from the Autobots, and thus you have no hope of rescue. This ship rests on an island far from any solid land, so even if you did escape our notice, you have nowhere to run." He told them. "Now, the three of you will combine and form the Skyboom shield, and then you will link with me. I wish to do a test run on a four-way linkage and you've all just volunteered."

Downshift and Forza almost told Megatron to go frag himself, but Indy's look settled them down. Suddenly, to Megatron's glee, they turned their attitude around and followed his orders.

"Race team, combine!" On Indy's command the three Minicons transformed and merged into the 11 foot long Skyboom shield, their color scheme making the gestalt shield look like it was made of gold with black accents. Though meant for a Minicon gestalt, when powerlinked with Megatron, it was nearly the perfect size, like his fusion cannon. But aesthetics were the last thing on Megatron's mind.

"Yes, yes!" Megatron grinned as he felt the Skyboom shield's power surge through his body. He began to cackle as he felt his body grow stronger from this gestalt alone. It was amazing! "Power…beyond measure-gnn-AAHHH!"

To Nightshade and Knockout's surprise, Megatron doubled over in pain as energy crackled from the shield. What was a euphoric rush of power was now an agonizing surge of pain rushing through his circuits that actually brought him to his knees. Nightshade tried to touch him, but ended up burning her fingers.

"Get that thing off him!" She ordered Knockout.

"N-no…" Megatron grunted, his body wracked with painful seizures. He could control it! "W-won't…let…"

Finally it was too much for Megatron and he was forced to disengage the Skyboom shield. It popped off his arm and fell to the floor, separating back into the Race team. Megatron and Nightshade both pointed their weapons at them.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Megatron shouted.

"A little failsafe that Dualor cooked up in case we were picked up by any unsavory Bulks." Indy said. "Powerlinking with us will cause a system-afterburn that feels like an EMP wave juiced up to the tenth degree. Prolonged exposure can cause you to go into stasis lock after some very painful damage to your circuitry."

"We can just disable the failsafe." Knockout said, though he didn't sound very confidant. These Minicons knew their stuff and their foresight was very disturbing.

"Only Dualor and the Space team know how to safely disable the system without causing an automatic backlash that'll kill us." Downshift added. "You start picking at us, and ZAP!" He clapped his hands. "No more Minicons."

"And no more Skyboom shield." Forza grinned.

"Then if I can't use the shield, you're of no use to me!" Megatron pointed his fusion cannon directly at them. "I'll crush you!"

"No, you won't." Indy replied. "Not when you've had a taste."

Megatron glared down at the Race team's leader, who glared right back at him without a trace of fear. Megatron knew false bravado when he saw it-Starscream had that in spades most of the time-but this Minicon wasn't faking it. He knew Megatron's need for power was enough for him to hold off on killing them…for now. It was that frustrating thought that made him lower his cannon and marched out of the room.

"Lock them up in the brig, Nightshade until I say otherwise." Megatron said. "And Indy, remember that I have more than enough time to make you bow to my will. You're isolated and far from any possible help you can count on. Refusing me will only make your suffering more agonizing."

Indy felt pride at having faced down Megatron like that in a game of wits. It was the one time he was grateful for Dualor's paranoia. But it only delayed the inevitable. Sooner or later, Megatron was going to find a way around the fail safes, and when that happened, nothing could stop the Race team from being used against their friends. Only time would tell how they were going to get out of this impossible situation.

XXXXXX

'To think that the first time I actually take a ride in an Autobot spaceship, I can barely keep my eyes open.' Annie thought. She reached into her bag to touch Mjolnir, gaining a quick jolt that woke her back up. 'There we go!'

She and Grindor were sitting in the passenger seat inside Springer's ship, the Jackhammer. Obviously, as the ship was made for cybertronian scale passengers, the seat was ten times larger than them, and they barely took up a fourth of the chair. Springer sat next to him steadily flying the Jackhammer through the air as easily as he would fly in his helicopter mode.

"I can't believe you decided to take her along." Grindor grumbled. "Can't you see she's seriously hurt?"

"Don't get snarky at me in my own ship, Minicon." Springer said. "Your girl would've done something stupid to get my attention and I'm not having Arcee or Prime cook me alive."

"Still, you're supposed to set an example!"

"I'm a Wrecker. I'm the last person you should consider a role model." Springer snorted. "Not like you did anything to stop her."

"I tried!" Grindor huffed. And he really did try to stop her from leaving. But he was alone and against a traumatized girl with a legendary hammer that discharged lightning powerful enough to blast holes in cybertronian armor. He wasn't going to fight that bare handed. Annie never threatened him before, but she wasn't in the right state of mine to say no to her face.

"Shut up, Grindor," Annie hissed. "You whining isn't making this any easy than it isn't."

"Leave him, kid, he's just worried about you."

"Whatever." Annie replied and looked up at him. "Now what are we going to do about Venom? Hunt his ass down and waste him?"

"I was thinking we let the bug come to us instead of chasing him around the country. And to do that," Springer gave her a smirk and tossed a grenade in his hand. "We need to force the Cons into an ultimatum."

XXXXXX

In the sparring room, Demolishor and Venom circled around each other in a ring with the other Cons rooting for them. On one side, Thundercracker and Skywarp, and on the other, Chop Shop. Rumble and Frenzy were in the middle rooting for the winner, which was still debatable. To an outsider, this would look like a spirited little regulated fight between comrades in arms, but this was just a façade for Demolishor and Venom to air out their grievances through the art of beating each other to a mangled mess.

"Just concede and walk away with your dignity, weakling. Fighting me will only end in your embarrassment." Venom taunted.

"You talk a lot for a cockroach that got run out of its own nest!" Demolishor said.

Venom rushed at him and swiped his claws, but Demolishor let the talons scrape his chest before lunging forward and catching Venom's jaw in an uppercut. Venom staggered back but fought back with a strong elbow strike to Demolishor's nose, followed by a kick to the chest. Demolishor grabbed his leg and threw him into the ring, slamming him to the floor and punching his face repeatedly.

"Get back up, Venom!" Chop Shop yelled. "Come on!"

"Rip him apart, Demolishor!" Skywarp hollered. "Show that scrap eater who runs this ship!"

At the oil bar, Leader-1, Search, the twins Rook and Crosswise, and the newly inducted Mini-Con Windsheer watched the fight drinking cans of distilled energon laced with Fulcrum. Though fun at first, watching the Cons try to tear each other apart had lost its novelty early on and had quickly gotten boring. Granted it's the only form of entertainment for the Minion population on the Nemesis, and they weren't going to complain seeing that Megatron or Nightshade could come end the debacle in a heartbeat.

"How long do you think it'll be before Megatron stops this?" Asked Search.

"Nine, maybe ten minutes." Leader-1 shrugged. "What about you, rookie?"

"Call me by my name, Leader-1," Windsheer growled and took a sip from his can. "And I think lord Megatron's due any minute now. Nothing happens on this ship without him knowing."

"Don't make Megatron out to be some omnipotent god." Rook said. "Have you forgotten that this ship's been blown to hell and back by misshapen terran monsters and Insecticons?"

"Don't say that so loud, you moron." Crosswise said. "Primus knows how many damn spies he has around here."

Leader-1 shook his head. Rook and Crosswise were good soldiers and warriors, but just hearing them talk lowered his intelligence by the second.

Back in the ring, Venom and Demolishor were still fighting, now locked in a tight grapple, trying to use their strength to bring the other to the floor. After a few minutes, it was clear that Demolishor was gaining the upper hand, but that was cut short when Knockout burst in the room with his usual cocky swagger.

"Break up the wrestling club, boys," Knockout clapped his hands. "Megatron wants a word with our Insecticon champion."

Venom grumbled and pushed Demolishor away, jumping out of the ring. "What does he want?"

Knockout smirked. "You better see for yourself. Don't wanna spoil the surprise."

That lingering sense of unease sitting at the back of Venom's mind grew as he walked to the bridge and he hoped his instincts were wrong about the impending doom coming upon him. Knockout brought him into the room and cleared his throat.

"I've brought Venom, lord Megatron." Knockout said, still smirking. Venom knew it wasn't good if the arrogant mech was this happy.

"Good. Some closer, Venom, this involves you as well." Megatron said, not looking at them. Venom did as he was told, and Megatron pressed a button on the computer to play a very recent message.

" _Yo, Megs, hope you're having a grand old time on this rock."_ It was the voice of Springer, the current commander of the Wreckers. " _If you're hearing this, then you're probably wondering what the Wrecker commander is doing here so far from the front lines. Well here's my reason: just recently, one of your filthy bugs tried to scrap my friend and his human partner. Wrecker or not, I can't let that slide, and I'm here for some payback. So here's my offer-have that bastard Venom meet me at the Coronado mountain range. If your bug bows out, then I'm going to start torching each and every one of your secured energon mines until he grows a pair. Don't think I'm serious? Well, here's the sound of 10 tons of energon going up in flames."_

Venom actually winced as a loud explosion ended the message and the recording stopped. He looked at Megatron, who still had his back to him. "L-lord Megatron…I-"

Megatron spun around and backhanded him across the face, hard enough to dislodge a few teeth. "You told me you killed the Autobot and his human!"

"I did my lord; both were grievously wounded by Barrage and myself!" Venom insisted.

"And yet, the Wrecker hints that they're both alive!" Megatron's eyes blazed as he snarled in Venom's face.

"An Autobot trick!"

"I don't know," Knockout tapped his chin with a pointed finger. "Did you actually see them expire? It is protocol among us real soldiers to confirm an enemy's demise."

Venom hissed, but he knew Knockout had a point. He was sure that the human was dead, but the Autobot…there was no possible way for him to have survived that long with the neurotoxins weakening his defenses. He pointed this out to Megatron, but the Decepticon leader was unconvinced.

"This changes things, Venom. Whether or not you killed them is moot at this point, as we have more pressing concerns with the Wrecker commander attacking our energon stores!" Megatron jabbed a finger in Venom's chest. "If you didn't kill the Autobot Bulkhead, then either you take Springer's head, or I'll have yours!"

XXXXXX

"Ugh," Annie groaned. That earlier rush from running scout in that energon mine was starting to wear off and she began to feel the exhaustion setting in. A side effect of being hopped up on too many painkillers.

"You alright?" Grindor asked. Since leaving the Ark, he'd been like her shadow, and though she appreciated the help, she was starting to feel suffocated by his attention.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." She said, weakly pushing him back.

"Don't fight your body, kid. You've been through a lot." Springer advised. "It won't do for you to suddenly pass out on us."

"I said I'm fine!" Annie snapped. "I'm not the one lying in a damn coma after being poisoned to near death!"

"No," Springer agreed. "You're the girl who lost so much protecting a good friend of mine. Too much, in fact."

That made Annie go quiet. They sat in silence as the Jackhammer flew undetected over the country. After a while, Annie felt her eyes start to droop and she struggled to keep them open, but it was getting difficult by the minute. Not to mention her eye was starting to ache, and she fought the urge to rub at her stump-she didn't have an arm anymore and yet she felt that tingling feeling that it should be there.

She had gotten over the initial shock of losing vital limbs in lieu of worrying over Bulkhead, but now that things were somewhat quiet, it was rushing back to her. She wanted to clench her fist, but felt nothing here. She rubbed at her right shoulder, but could only feel the rough bandages and a smooth space where her arm once was. She heard of soldiers experiencing phantom limb syndrome due to loss of limbs, their bodies thinking that their missing limb is still there. Annie felt that she shouldn't be surprised anymore with all that's happened. All it takes is two minutes for everything to change, but Annie felt that she was being singled out by the divines. What was she? Fate's little bitch?

'No talos, no arm, no eye, no Bulkhead, only my sparkling wit and Mjolnir.' She thought wearily. 'Helpless again. Was this how Bumblebee felt when OZ took his T-cog? Gaia, this is the worst feeling.'

"Springer?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think…Bulkhead is going to make it?" Annie asked.

Springer snorted. "Of course he's gonna pull through. He's a strong mech. Been through worse scraps than this." His voice took on a more somber tone. "And we've got Ratchet on our side. He's the best we've got and hasn't failed us yet."

"Yeah, you're right." Annie smiled and leaned her head on Grindor's shoulder. "We've still got a lot of things to do together. Monster truck rallies, dragon sighting, treasure hunting with Gina; I've been making a list."

"And be sure to remind him every day until he wakes up. It ain't gonna be for me kid, but for you." Springer said. He looked over at Annie and saw that she was sound asleep, clutching Mjolnir like a teddy bear. He smiled. "Sleep tight, Annie."

XXXXXX

Annie was abruptly awoken by a sudden jolt from the ship. "I'm awake!" She looked around, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"Yeah, Springer just landed the ship." Grindor said. Annie slapped her cheek and stood up.

"So what's the plan?" Annie asked.

"The plan is for me to do my thing and for you two to stay put." Springer pointed at the blue button on his console. "I've preset the autopilot to take you back to the Ark. Press this if the battle goes south."

"You're not leaving here! We had a deal!" Annie yelled. "You said I could help!"

"And you have," Springer said calmly. "One of us has to be there when Bulkhead wakes up. And he'll fire off my rivets if anything happened to you on my watch."

Annie's nails bit into her hand as she watched Springer leave the ship through the hatch. She felt Grindor place a comforting hand on her shoulder, but it didn't ease her worry as she saw Springer drive out into the canyon in car mode.

Springer drove a few feet from the ship before stopping in the middle of the canyon and reverting to robot mode. He took out his sword and shouted to the canyon, "Come out, Venom! I'm going to stomp you out just like I'd did your friends back on Cybertron!"

The familiar buzzing was heard faintly before it grew in intensity and two shadows appeared in the air. Springer flipped back as a powerful lightning bolt was fired from the sky. Venom and Chop Shop arrived, clinging to the walls of the canyon and glaring at Springer.

"You caused us a lot of grief today, Autobot." Chop Shop sneered.

"You make it sound like I care." Springer replied, spinning his sword. "Now come down here so I can cut you bastards down to size!"

Venom wasted no time in obliging his request. Pushing off the rocks, he propelled himself towards Springer, transforming and drawing his scythe. Springer leapt out of his path, narrowly dodging a slash from the scythe that scratched his back as he flipped over it and kicked Venom in the side. Chop Shop flew at Springer, his arms turning into a pair of scissor-like pincers and snapped away at the Autobot. Springer deflected most of the strikes with his blade and slashed him across the chest. Venom charged at him from his six, but Springer batted his scythe away and lunged at him, digging his blade into Venom's chest plate with a drilling maneuver that left a spiral gouge in his armor.

"What's the matter bugs? Is fighting a bot not poisoned too much for you?" He taunted. Despite his bravado, Springer knew he was in a bad position. He could handle a couple of regular Insecticons, but alphas were another story. They were stronger than the average bug, and two of them coming at him at once were risky. Which meant that he had to take out the tag-along.

Springer jumped off a boulder and kicked Venom in the face, flipping in mid air and slicing Chop Shop's arm off. The Insecticon gave an angry and pained howl, but Springer ignored his screeching when he did another leap, this time throwing his sword and skillfully stabbing Chop Shop in the chest. He fell forward, and Springer pulled his sword out only to successfully sever Chop Shop's heading one swipe.

"Now that the third wheel's gone, let's have some real fun!" Springer threw Chop Shop's head at Venom and followed up with a diagonal strike. Venom smacked the head away and grabbed Springer's sword, only to have it pulled from his grasp and left two deep cuts on his hands. The Wrecker fell into a pattern, slashing, stabbing and throwing rocks at the alpha, not giving him a chance to fight back at all. Venom was taking too much damage and had to chase Springer off by firing his electric cannons at him.

"Don't get too cocky, Wrecker. I've already killed one Autobot, and I'm eager to add another one to my record." Venom hissed. He jumped over Chop Shop's corpse and drew his scythe.

"Bulkhead isn't dead, and neither is the girl. Two direct hits and a neurotoxin and you still couldn't kill them." Springer shrugged. "Wonder what that says about your skills."

In the Jackhammer, Annie and Grindor watched the fight intensely. Annie's memories of Bulkhead fighting Venom were vague, but she knew that the Insecticon wasn't this good with a scythe back then. Was that metal bastard playing with them back then?

"I've never seen an Insecticon use a weapon that skillfully before." Grindor said. "Even an alpha shouldn't be able to keep Springer on his toes like this."

"Doesn't matter. He has to kill that freak for us. For Bulkhead." Annie muttered.

But Grindor had a point; Venom's skill with his weapon was uncanny. He used the length of the scythe to keep Springer from getting too close without getting cut in return. Springer twirled his sword in wide arcs and strong slashes that pushed Venom back, but Venom did a good job parrying most of his strikes. Sparks flew, metal clanged and collided, and both mechs were reaching their limit. Venom fought savagely, but Springer's technique mirrored those of a fencer, delivering quick strikes and remaining light on his feet. Eventually, he was going to find a weak point and deal a critical blow.

Unfortunately, he forgot to expect the unexpected from an Insecticon. When Springer moved in for a sword-fist combo, Venom's mouth plate retracted and he spat out a glob of acidic solution into Springer's face. The Wrecker instinctively jumped back to avoid most of it, but some got in his eyes and momentarily blinded him. Venom rushed forward and knocked the sword from Springer's hand and went for the kill. Springer managed to avoid his first attack and grab his arm, throwing him over his shoulder and kicking him in the face. Springer then tried to throw a grenade, but Venom blasted it from his hands with his electro-cannon, along with some fingers.

"I've killed enough of your Wreckers to know how you fight. No matter where you come from or your specialties, you always go the explosive route when things don't go your way!" Venom cackled.

Venom rushed the half blind Springer and began delivering a series of devastating blows to the Autobot. Strong punches capable of shattering stone pummeled his face and chest, energon spilled from the cuts on his face, his servos shook from each blow, and he could barely think long enough to fight back. Venom threw Springer into a boulder, then he charged and rammed into Springer, sending him crashing through the boulder and rolling across the ground.

"Get your gun! Hurry!" Annie yelled at him.

Springer tried to take out his blaster, but Venom leapt up and landed on his back, crushing him into the hard ground. He picked Springer up and punched him in the chest hard enough to send a shockwave through his body. He gave two more punches to the weakened Autobot before throwing him into the air and kicking him in the face. Springer crashed onto the ground, bleeding and in pain.

Springer pushed himself up on weak arms and looked up at Annie, staring at him through the window. Spitting out energon, he groaned, "Run…"

Annie shook her head, eye tearing up, but Grindor moved towards the control panel. "We have to go."

"We can't leave him!" She protested.

"Springer wants us to leave! He's trying to keep us safe, can't you see that?!" Grindor yelled at her.

Annie got up into his face and gave him the most hateful glare she had ever given him. "We are not leaving here until that bastard is dead!"

Venom stomped his foot on Springer's chest. "You should have brought reinforcements, Wrecker. This would've been slightly more enjoyable with an audience."

"Ngh…Get…*cough*fragged…" Springer coughed and spat some energon onto Venom's foot.

"And to think I was going to make your death quick." Venom growled and raised his scythe over his fallen foe. "I'll be sure to keep you alive long enough to feel me disembowel you."

Just as he was about to impale Springer's head, the sky darkened and a lightning bolt fell from the heavens, hitting the scythe and engulfing Venom in a painful surge of electricity. It was only for a few seconds, but those few seconds were the most excruitiating moments in Venom's life as he felt every circuit in his body overcharge and burn. He stumbled back, dropping his scythe as warning labels appeared in his vision. He was almost on the verge of stasis lock!

"H-how…?" Venom trembled. A flash of light from the Jackhammer caused him to look up, and before he could blink, another bolt was fired from its direction, blasting a hole in his shoulder, vaporizing his shoulder joint and destroying most of his arm. He had no time to register the pain as a small object laced with lightning flew at him as amazing speeds. It was Mjolnir, and it was unstoppable as it tore through Venom's chest, annihilating his Spark core and tearing through his back before shooting into the sky. Venom gave a dying wheez before he fell back, dying before he hit the ground.

Springer stared at Venom's smoking corpse before looking over at the Jackhammer. Standing atop the ship was Annie, who caught Mjolnir in her hand, lightning shooting from the hammer, but not hurting her. Her expression was stone cold and her remaining eye was like it was carved from a hard-cut emerald. He grinned and slowly stood up, wincing as he limped back to the Jackhammer as Mjolnir stopped discharging energy.

"I thought I told you to run." Springer said.

"I wasn't able to save Bulkhead when it mattered. I'm not adding you to my scorecard." She said mechanically.

Springer shook his head, but gave her a proud look. "All the same, thanks for the save, Annie. You did Bulkhead proud."

Annie looked at the two dead Insecticons lying on the ground. "Then why don't I feel any different?"

XXXXXX

The flight back to the Ark was quiet and depressing. As soon as the high of the battle wore off, they both realized that the Autobots probably realized where they were and would not be happy with them. Springer was still nursing his wounds, and Annie's were starting to act up again, which made Springer hasten their trip back home. When they landed near the Ark, Optimus, Arcee and Ratchet stood by the landing hatch, and they did not look happy.

"What the hell were thinking?!" Arcee hissed in Springer's face. "Dragging Annie and Grindor into danger like that, they could've been killed!"

"But they're still alive, aren't they? And I didn't put her in danger." Springer returned, inwardly terrified of her rage, but still holding strong. "Besides, that girl saved my aft today, and I owe her my life."

"That's not the point you insufferable-"

"Arcee! It's all right," Annie said. "I blackmailed Springer into taking us. It's not his fault, so please don't blame him."

Darren and Debbie ran outside and hugged her to them, worried sick for their sister. "Annie, what's wrong with you? You could've made your condition worse!" Debbie cried, though she didn't lessen her hug.

Annie hugged them back, but she pulled back to look at Ratchet. "How is he?"

"Bulkhead is…stable for the moment," Ratchet explained. "I cleared his systems of the neurotoxin, and I've finished operating on him. But Annie…his wounds were very great. I'm not sure he'll be fully functional again."

Annie frowned, her hair covering her right eye and she pushed past Darren and Debbie to enter the ship. The Autobots watched her limp down the hall before turning to Springer, who was looking at the girl with an equally sad expression.

"I'm…going to head back to Orbital Command. I can't bring myself to see Bulkhead right now," Springer sighed. "Not like this."

Annie walked into the med bay and slowly climbed up the latter onto Bulkhead's berth, making her way onto his chest and staring at his face. Blood ran from beneath the bandages over her missing eye as she cried on top of her friend.

"I'm so sorry, Bulkhead." Annie weeped.

XXXXXX

Megatron stared at the remains of the two Insecticons. Two alphas, brutally slaughtered and left to rust in the desert. Chop Shop's remains were mostly intact, but there was barely anything left of Venom save for his head, an arm and his legs. His corpse was warped, like it was hit by high temperature plasma. Megatron scowled and slammed his fists on the table in anger.

"How did this happen?! Two alpha Insecticons should've had no problem killing this Autobot and yet he was able to do this?" He spat through clenched teeth.

"No, my lord. I saw it all." Songbird said, sitting on Nightshade's shoulder. "It was…a human girl."

Megatron's eyes widened and he shared a shocked glance with Nightshade. A human child did this? A wave of unease fell over him as he realized that this contest of superiority for Terra wasn't as clear cut as he originally thought.

* * *

 **And so ends Annie's quest for revenge, which may have left her more broken than when she started it. Now, I know I said that this chapter was the end of the arc, but the next one is. After I post ch 32, I'll catch up on Distant Stars. And be sure to check out the Transformers Titan website on Wordpress. I will be posting a revised version of Awakening on there, along with the prequels and Escalation, as well as chapters from the Sourcebook. Just cross reference Transformers Titan with and you'll get there. Thank you for reading this very intense chapter of mine and please leave a review.**


	32. Memories in the Rain

Chapter 32-Memories in the Rain

Three days had passed and Bulkhead still hasn't woken up from his deep sleep. Despite Ratchet flushing Venom's neurotoxin from his system, there was still no guarantee that he would make a full recovery. That alone made Annie's recovery process drop in progress as well. Annie did little else than sit on Bulkhead's chest save for eating, sleeping and bathing. She barely said anything either, and instead of getting better, her condition only seemed to get worse. To her friends and family, this was getting out of hand.

"Annie, please, you need some fresh air." Darren begged his sister. "Sitting around all day isn't healthy."

"I'm not sitting around, Darren. I'm watching over Bulkhead." She said. Her voice was a bit scratchy since she rarely used it these days. Another bad sign.

"Annie," Debbie sighed. "Ratchet can do that for you. Right now, you need to focus on getting back into shape yourself."

"Back into shape?" Annie's laugh was the most scathing thing she did since coming back from her little "field trip" with Springer. She slid off Bulkhead and climbed down the ladder. Her foot slipped and she almost fell had Debbie not caught her. Annie pushed Debbie away and glared at her siblings. "How can I get back into shape? I'm missing an eye and an arm; I can't just run that off on a treadmill!"

"I know, Annie, but Ratchet can help you." Debbie said weakly. Just looking at Annie in this state made her want to cry. "I hear he's helping Wheeljack make a new arm for you. A prosthetic. Isn't that great?"

"Doesn't bring my real arm back or my eye for that matter." Annie sniffed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to look after Bulkhead."

She turned around to return to her post, only to have Ratchet step in her way. "I can handle that just fine, Annie. Listen to your family. You need fresh air, and staying cooped up in this room isn't doing you wounds any good."

Annie glared up at him. "Are you telling me that as a doctor, or as a friend?"

"Both." He replied.

They shared an intense stare down that went on long enough to make Debbie and Darren uncomfortable. Finally, Annie backed down and marched towards the door.

"Fie then, I'll go." She spat. "At least have the courtesy to say get the hell out to my face!"

Wheeljack opened the door and waved to everyone. "Hey guys-"

"Move it!" Annie pushed past his legs on her way out, almost making him trip. He looked down at her retreating form, then looked to Ratchet, who just sighed.

"What was that about?" Wheeljack asked.

"It's just a girl dealing with her grief, Wheeljack." Debbie said softly. "How's that arm coming along?"

XXXXXX

Thunderous booms overshadowed the light rainfall that fell over the small glade where Darren and Kevin would practice with their powers. Arcs of lightning tore apart the ground as Mjolnir smashed apart the surrounding trees at Annie's command. It circled around and flew back into her hand.

"Hyaaa!" Annie roared and released another powerful bolt at the lake, causing a spout of water to shoot into the air. She threw the hammer again and destroyed two more trees in one swing this time. It returned to her hand and she studied the damage she caused. Annie spent five minutes venting her rage, and part of the glade looked like someone did some rounds on their ATVs. Since she couldn't use a punching bag anymore, this was the first thing she could think of. It still gave her that thrill, but just as quickly as it pumped her up, it fled her body, leaving her as empty as when she came here earlier.

'All the shouting and fighting in the world won't be able to bring it back.' She thought. This, her god awful vision, Bulkhead's state, and knowing that her talos was out of commission, Annie did the only she could do-cry.

She fell to her knees as the edge of the lake and began to cry, pouring out all her feelings at once. Annie cried her heart out alone until she heard someone approaching.

"Annie?"

Annie quickly turned around and saw Jazz walking through the bushes. "Oh, it's you." She sniffled.

"Well, yeah, it's certainly not the music genre." Jazz grinned. He walked up to her, not yet commenting on the level of destruction she caused. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm sitting alone in a forest during a downpour crying my eyes out. What do you think?" She huffed and looked away.

Jazz looked around at the fallen and destroyed trees and deep trenches with smoke rising from them. He whistled and sat down next to her. "I see you found a way to vent out your anger. Productive, but I doubt the animals appreciate it."

"No offense, Jazz, but I came out here to be alone."

"Oh. I see. That's cool. Just wanted to check up on you." Jazz said, looking out at the dark waters of the lake, watching the tiny raindrops fall onto its surface and disappear. He waited a few more minutes before talking again. "I know that you're hurting, Annie. You and Bulkhead are close, and seeing him like this hurts. But bottling up your feelings isn't how you should deal with this. Darren, Debbie, Grindor, they're all worried about you. It hurts them to see you like this. If you ever need to talk to anyone or-"

"What the hell do you know about how I'm feeling?!" Annie snapped, her voice cracking a bit from a forced back sob. "You're a Cybertronian, you guys can just pop on another leg or arm and everything will be new as the day you were born. Hell, you can even transplant T-cogs and other fucking doohickeys, so don't say that you know what I'm going through!"

"I'm not taking abut physical wounds, Annie. I'm talking about mental ones." Jazz replied.

Annie blinked up at him. "You mean…Arcee?"

"I assume she's told you about that dark time in her life, right? Well, losing Moonracer put her on a downward spiral and she was a lot like you at one point. Scared, lost, alone…"

"Weak," Annie finished softly. "I'm guessing she didn't get better until you came along?"

"Maybe. But her recovery didn't happened overnight." Jazz said and leaned back on his hands. "I simply put her on the road to recovery. How she dealt with her pain was her choice alone."

XXXXXX

 **Polyhex,** **Cybertron-5 million years ago.**

 _The weather was cold and wet. Gloomy and depressing couldn't even begin to describe the atmosphere for Arcee as she crouched in a balcony outside an apartment near Polyhex's residential area. Rain pelted her body, but she hadn't moved from that position since arriving there with her strike team. Her team was on the ground doing an equipment check and waiting for their scout to return with some news. The mission they were undertaking was very dangerous, but crucial, as if they succeeded, then they would be able to cripple the Decepticons' communications network throughout the eastern hemisphere._

 _Polyhex was a city-state that was once the main hub for the Communication Grid that spanned the entire planet before the war. When war broke out and society started crumbling, Polyhex was one of the first cities to be taken over by the Decepticons and was made into one of the major focal points in their communications network for that entire area. Arcee's team-consisting of team leader Dino, Mirage, Inferno, Cliffjumper and Blaster-was tasked by Ultra Magnus to sabotage the main control tower at the heart of the city that acted as the main focal node in the network. At the moment, they were waiting on Mirage to return from his recon to know what point of entry they could take._

" _Come on, how long is this going to take?" Inferno complained. "It'll be daylight by the time we'll get the intel."_

" _Maybe he turned tail and ran." Cliffjumper snorted, checking his proton rifle for the fifth time. "It's something the coward would do."_

" _Can it, Cliff. Now's not the time for that slag." Dino said._

 _The wait was long and painful, but after an hour, Mirage reappeared seemingly from thin air, jumping over Cliffjumper's body (knocking his toe against the back of the red mech's head) and landed before Dino._

" _Bout damn time you got back, creeper." Cliffjumper grumbled._

" _You try sneaking past a squad of cloakers and pressure sensors." Mirage shot back. "Ungrateful little red runt."_

" _Cliff, shut up. Mirage, what did you learn?" Dino asked._

" _That bridge is the only way through," Mirage reported, pointing at the large highway leading to the spire across the gorge. "And patrols go around the clock with three second lulls in security."_

" _Wonderful." Inferno sighed._

" _But I did find an opening to an underground tunnel network that could get us inside. It's in an alleyway near the bridge. If we're quick, we could probably sneak past one of the patrols."_

 _Dino narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Okay, it's out best shot. Let's roll out Autobots!" As the rest of the team gathered their gear and moved out, Dino noticed that Arcee was crouched on top of a balcony still looking out at the city."Arcee, move it!"_

" _H-huh?" Arcee blinked and nodded shakily. "Yes, sir. Sorry."_

 _They ran out of the rundown building they were hiding in and jogged through the backstreets and always, away from enemy eyes and acute sensory organs. Dino and Cliffjumper took the lead, the latter scouting ahead as the group neared the manhole in between two stores. They said nothing, using hand signs and comm-bursts to communicate, with only the sound of their feet against the wet ground as they ran towards their destination._

" _Keep moving. We're almost there." Dino whispered._

 _They were halfway down the alleyway when a spherical Sky Spy appeared around the last corner in their path. Cliffjumper didn't hesitate to raise his rifle and Dino tried to stop him. "No, Cliff!"_

 _The drone was destroyed by two quick bursts from the red Autobot, and Inferno ran up to him to give the mech a quick whack upside his head. "What was that for?! The thing's dead so it can't send an alarm!"_

" _No, you moron. Destroying that Sky Spy sent out an alert that'll alert nearby forces to our-" Inferno heard a loud hum and looked up to see two gunships hovering over the alley, and two squads of Vehicons appear in the mouth of the alley."-Position!"_

" _Weapons free!" Dino yelled and the dark alleyway was lip up by laser fire coming from all directions. Cliffjumper and Inferno quickly set up three over-shields to protect the group from the worst of the onslaught, but those wouldn't hold them for long. "Arcee, Mirage, get that cover off!"_

" _We're moving!" Mirage snapped. He was using a laser cutter to cut through the manhole cover, while Arcee saw an opening large enough for them to slip through. The Decepticons were slowly encroaching on their position, and there was no room for escape. They were trapped if they couldn't get underground. "We almost have it."_

 _As the soldiers closed in on them, one of the gunships flew at an angle above them and began firing particle blasts at the barrier. Dino cursed as he saw the over-shield weakening. Mirage noticed it too and cursed._

" _Damn it, we're out of time!" Mirage said. Fortunately, the manhole was uncovered, but just as the over-shield burned out in a bright flash from one last blast. Knowing that they now had a few seconds to act, Mirage grabbed Arcee and shoved her towards the hole. "Arcee, go!"_

" _What?! No, I can't-"_

" _Just go!"_

 _Arcee couldn't protest as she was pushed into the hole and fell down the narrow shaft head first. Up above she could hear a loud boom shake the tunnel followed by more blaster fire, before she fell into the darkness._

XXXXXX

 _Arcee regained her senses as she floated on the water inside the sewer system that drained excess water accumulated from condensed moisture or heavy rainfall. It was knee deep, and she could've stood up, but she remained in her position, staring up at where she had fallen._

 _She wondered about the fate of her team. Were they captured or killed on the spot? She imagined that the Cons weren't very keen on letting a strike team of Autobots live after trying to disrupt their communications. If they were dead, well…that was nothing new to her. Death seemed to have been enamored with the pink Autobot-she lost her sister, various squad mates from the Ky-Alexian militia, watched countless friends die, and now she lost another team as well._

' _All because of this stupid war.' Arcee thought bleakly. 'How many times do I have to go through this before it just stops? I'm tired…so tired.' Arcee heard an explosion down the tunnel to her left and heard multiple footsteps running in her direction. They came from the only two tunnels leading to the cistern, leaving her effectively trapped. Sure enough, two squads of Vehicons ran into the chamber and surrounded her as she stood up._

" _Surrender, Autobot, or be terminated." A Vehicon ordered, pointing his blaster at her face._

" _Go to hell." Arcee snarled, raising her swords. She could probably take out a dozen of them before they shot her down. Either way, she wasn't going down without a fight. 'At least I'll get to see Moonracer again.'_

 _The Vehicons prepared to open fire and she got ready to slaughter the lot of them, when she heard an explosion come from the north tunnel. Arcee and the other Vehicons looked to the tunnel to see the rear guard of squad 2 get decimated by some unknown assailants. Arcee jumped back as a silver mech leapt over the Vehicons, cutting them down with wrist mounted vibro-blades. Another explosion came from the other tunnel and this time, a green femme danced around them, twirling a pink laser ribbon that sliced through their bodies like sheet metal._

" _What the hell?" Arcee muttered. Two bots and they were easily tearing through them without using any guns. Not to mention the Vehicons, being the poor shots they were, were in complete disarray as they tried and failed to cut down their enemies. Within minutes, the Vehicon squads were dead or retreated back to the surface. When the two bots that caused the massacre turned towards her, Arcee raised her swords with a growl._

" _Whoa, hold up there, we don't mean you no harm." The silver mech said quickly. He retracted his blades and raised his hands. "We're friendly, see?"_

 _Arcee narrowed her eyes and lowered her weapons once she saw the Autobot symbol on their bodies. "Who are you?"_

" _I'm Jazz, and my two friends here are Lickety-Split…"_

 _The green femme gave her a bright smile and waved merrily at her. "Hi there!"_

" _And Hashtag."_

" _Hashtag?" Arcee tensed when she felt something behind her and spun around to see a light brown femme standing around chest height to her. The strangest thing about this femme was that she had no face, or even a head-instead she had a rectangular screen that displayed pictures or words whenever she communicated._

" _She's out resident technician and hacker." Jazz explained. Hashtag gave Arcee an emote of a smiley face. "We're from the special ops unit. Boss bot sent us to provide support for you team."_

" _Boss bot? You mean Optimus Prime sent you?" She asked, idly wondering about the quirky nickname he just gave his commanding officer._

" _Yup! He said something about it being too dangerous to attempt without back-up. We sent a message to you guys to give a heads up." Lickety-Split said._

" _We didn't get any message." Arcee crossed her arms. "Who did you send it to?"_

 _Hashtag's screen showed Cliffjumper's face._

" _Oh." Arcee scowled. Cliffjumper probably told them off thinking that his team could handle the operation by themselves. It was something that good for nothing circuit junkie would do._

" _Since we're down here and you're without your team," Jazz said. "I'm guessing your team is no in a good place right now."_

" _What do you think?" she spat._

" _Looks like our mission parameters have changed." Jazz clapped his hands together with a grin. "Let's go girls!"_

 _Jazz, Likety-Split and Hashtag walked past a confused Arcee towards the north tunnel. "Where are you going?"_

" _To go save your friends." Jazz answered. "You're welcome to join us."_

" _I don't need your permission." Arcee grumbled, pushing past the trio and marching down the tunnel. The three special officers shared a glance before following after Arcee, vanishing into the darkness of the sewers._

" _Prickly." Jazz muttered._

XXXXXX

"Prickly." Annie unknowingly echoed. "I didn't realize Arcee was that hardcore back then."

"You would be too if your only family was taken from you by war." Jazz sighed and leaned back on his hands. "She was in a dark place. Taking suicide missions along with the Wreckers, doing things that even Bulkhead wouldn't think about. She didn't form any type of permanent relationship with anyone or join any unit out of fear of getting close to some people who might've died on her watch. She was a mess."

"Did she ever consider just…ending it all?" Annie asked softly.

"Thankfully, no. She wasn't that far gone, but she took enough Wrecker missions to make boss bot and Elita-1 worry."

"But, Cee managed to find you, right? So she got better eventually." She said.

"Not immediately." He reminded her. "We had to go through some hoops before we were all buddy buddy."

"So…what happened next?" Annie leaned towards him excitedly, her earlier sadness forgotten.

XXXXXX

 _The four Autobots drove through the sewers of the Polyhexian aqueducts, following an old map of the underground Hashtag just had stored away in her memory banks. Arcee and Jazz were normal four wheeled cars, Lickety-Split was a hovercycle and Hashtag was a surveillance vehicle._

 _Jazz led the group through the tunnels using the same power lines that transferred power throughout the city, though most of the power was rerouted to the tower's automated defenses. Jazz entered another cistern and switched forms, along with the others. Lickety-Split pointed upwards._

" _This is it." She said, checking her scans._

 _/Are you sure?/ Hashtag asked. /Last time you said that, we ended up in the middle of a Decepticon barracks during lights out./_

 _Lickety-Split glared at Hashtag before huffing and looking away. Jazz chuckled and turned to Arcee. "Arcee, could you do the honors and open the door for us?"_

" _Couldn't we just set some charges and bomb the generators from underneath?" She asked. Jazz shook his head._

" _No go. That station was set to run on serve power separate from the city's main power grid in case something happened, like a terrorist attack or a natural disaster." He explained. "Besides, don't you want to save your friends first?"_

 _Arcee's glare was a definitive yes. She pushed him aside and climbed the ladder, digging her laser swords into the metal cover and carving her way through the metal. Once she was through, they climbed up into the station, where they found themselves in the server room, where the data of past transmissions and recordings that passed through the Grid were stored. Thousands upon thousands of years worth of data, and they were about to blow it up._

' _Can't help but see this as a waste, but that's war.' Jazz thought. 'Better the servers than a whole city being destroyed.'_

 _He nodded to Hashtag, who knelt down over an access port and plugged a cord from the back of her neck. Suddenly, data began flashing on her screen too fast to decipher._

" _What's she doing?" Arcee asked._

" _Hacking into the station's computer network." Jazz said. "She can download a map of the facility for us so we don't have to go wandering around for your friends."_

 _It only took about a few seconds for Hashtag to fully download the data she needed and when she was done, she unplugged herself and stood up. A detailed map of the station appeared on her screen and she focused on a single location not too far from them, marking the spot with a blinking red dot. Hashtag motioned for them to follow her as she led them to the location and allowed Arcee to take point as they ran out of the server room._

 _The interior of the station was massive, and the corridors were nearly identical. Arcee was thankful they had a map, because unless you worked here, it was hard to tell heads and tails from this place. In her confusion, Arcee turned a corner and nearly ran into two patrolling guards, surprising them._

" _Scrap!" Arcee shot one of the guards in the head, but was too slow to kill the other, who shot her in the shoulder with his blaster. She stumbled back with a hiss, but Lickety-Split leapt over her and whipped her pink laser ribbon, beheading the Con in an elegant display. She kicked the bodies inside a closet and gave Arcee a disappointed look._

" _You can't run headfirst into that, Cee. You'll lose your head like that." She said before continuing down the hall with Hashtag. Arcee huffed, but Jazz gave her a calming pat on the back._

" _Don't worry about it, Cee. It's been a long night for all of us. Myself included!" Jazz laughed. Arcee stared at him like he was insane. "What?"_

" _How can you be so happy at a time like this? With all this god forsaken fighting and killing, how are you able to keep smiling?" She asked._

" _Well, if I'm always frowning like my friend Prowler, then my face would ache and I wouldn't be able to focus on my own." He grinned._

" _Be serious!"_

" _I am! Arcee, if you let the darkness of this war take over, then it doesn't matter who wins. You'll still have that cloud of pain and sadness hangin' over your head. It's not a good feeling to have."_

" _Okay then, wise one, how do you get rid of this cloud?"_

" _Just smile. Think of a happy memory and smile as bright as you can to shine the darkness away." Jazz walked after his teammates. "Don't let this war drag you down, Arcee. You're a strong gal, and not so heavy that you can't pull yourself out of this funk."_

 _Arcee scowled. Smile, she inwardly scoffed, what kind of world is he living in? How can she smile after losing everything in this war? Her home, her friends, her sisters…everything. What was the point of smiling if her reason for doing so was dead and ten feet under?_

XXXXXX

 _Thanks to Hashtag, the group made it to the prison block without anymore incidents. Any patrols they did run into were swiftly dealt with by Jazz and Lickety-Split, including the Cons guarding the prison block. Once they were dealt with, Arcee rushed into the cell area and was greeted by the sight of her imprisoned teammates._

" _Arcee! You're alive!" Inferno said, relieved. His rugged appearance suggested that he was roughed up a bit while being taken to his cell. "And you brought help."_

" _Yeah, no thanks to Cliffjumper!" Arcee growled at the mech in question, who just looked away._

" _I thought we could've handled it ourselves." Cliffjumper grumbled._

 _Lickety-Split shut down the laser bars, allowing the mechs to walk out free. Arcee noticed that Dino wasn't there and asked where he was._

" _The so-called "warden" of this place, Thrax, took him away to interrogate him. I have no idea if Dino's even still alive." Mirage said._

 _Arcee frowned and walked towards the door, prompting Lickety-Split to ask, "Where are you going?"_

" _To save my commander." Arcee replied._

 _/Alone?/ Hashtag shook her head. /That's suicide!/_

" _I still have a mission to complete. You three take Mirage, Cliffjumper and Inferno out of this hellhole while I go save Dino and blow this place sky high."_

 _Ignoring the protests of her comrades, Arcee ran out of the room and towards where Thrax would most likely hold Dino for interrogation-right where the bombs were supposed the planted, in the generator room. No doubt the bastard was using the torus shaped generators that power the station as a torture device. As she turned a corner, Arcee noticed Jazz was following her._

" _Don't try to stop me!" She yelled at him._

" _I won't, but you're going to need help!" Jazz said._

" _I don't need your help!"_

 _Jazz leapt onto the wall and flipped over Arcee to land in front of her, forcing her to stop. "But you do. And I'm not leaving you alone to fight Thrax."_

" _Oh just stop it! I've made it this far by myself, and you aren't going to make a damn difference!"_

 _She shoved him aside and walked past him, but Jazz held onto her arm to keep her in place. "Arcee, you can't keep pushing people away. Wallowing in the past will only hold you back."_

" _What do you know about me?" She asked bitterly._

" _I know that you're still hurting from Moonracer's death." He said and felt her tense up. He let go of her arm and walked back in front of her. "I can see it in your eyes. It still haunts you, and you can't forgive yourself for what happened. But Arcee, pushing people away won't make you stronger, you'll just be hurting yourself. And that pain you're feeling in your Spark won't go away, it'll only get worse."_

XXXXXX

"Wise words." Annie said softly.

"I learned them from a wise mech." Jazz agreed.

Annie traced her fingers along the runes etched into the smooth golden metal of Mjolnir as she thought deeply. "I can't imagine what Arcee's been through. I've lived with Debbie and Darren all my life, and I think I'd go insane if I lost them. I barely got over seeing my mom die, so I don't think seeing either of my siblings die will go well with me."

"It's not bad to think of your lost loved ones, Annie. The thing is that most people tend to let their grief overrun their lives." Jazz said. "Arcee was probably worse off than you at the time. She didn't have anyone to help her through it."

"Then you came along." Annie smiled.

Jazz smiled back and nodded. "Then I came along."

XXXXXX

 _Jazz and Arcee ran down the corridors towards the heart of the station where Thrax would most likely be holding Dino._

" _We need to hurry." Jazz said. "It'll be a riot once they find the bodies."_

 _Just as he said that, the security alarms went off in a high pitch whine, followed by the sound of dozens of heavy footsteps heading their war. Arcee saw three Vehicons turn the corner around them and sprinted forward, drawing her swords. She leapt over them and beheaded one of them before throwing one of her swords into the second Vehicon's chest. She then grabbed the leader and threw him into the wall, stabbing her sword right under his Spark core._

" _Where's your prisoner?" Arcee growled._

" _Eat slag, cog sucker!" The Vehicon spat. He howled in pain as she twisted the burning hot sword in his abdomen._

" _I won't ask you again. Where is your leader and his prisoner?"_

 _The Vehicon was no stranger to pain, but no one can have a sword stabbed into their innards and remain steadfast. He cracked and gave her the location. Arcee pulled her swords from him and ran down the hall with Jazz covering her flank._

" _Arcee, hold up!" Jazz yelled. "You're running into an ambush!"_

" _I know!" Arcee said. More Vehicons appeared in the hallway and Arcee leapt up onto the wall, pushing off it to gain some leverage to flip over the squad. She dropped a frag grenade right into the middle of their formation and switched to vehicle mode upon landing._

 _The well placed grenade took out half of the Vehicons, but the remaining bots opened fire on Jazz. Against her better judgment, Arcee didn't go back to help him, knowing that they were no match for him. Instead, she drove deeper into the facility, towards the lower levels._

' _Sorry, Jazz,' Arcee thought. 'But I don't have time to wait for you. Dino needs my help and I'm not having another person die on my watch.'_

XXXXXX

 _The power plant fueling the station, and by extension, powering the Grid, was a massive hexagonal chamber underneath the station. There were rows of power conduits made to channel and process the massive amounts of information passing through the Grid, with data storage and categorization being the former duties of the Data caste-this was before Thrax and his Decepticon battalion invaded the city and massacred all but the most essential personnel. Those that were spared were given the "honor" of serving the Decepticon cause and forced to operate the station._

 _Arcee leapt through the long isles of machinery, which were alight with blinking lights and humming from cooling fans spinning inside the monitors. She had a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. Two Decepticons walked down one of the isles and Arcee rushed behind them, stabbing one through the back and shooting the other in the head. Arcee headed towards the center of this high tech maze, careful to avoid being spotted by the other guards as she reached the generators. Fortunately for her, Arcee found who she was looking for._

" _Dino!" She whispered._

 _Dino looked worse off than the rest of the team. He was missing an eye and had deep lacerations all over his body, leaking energon profusely. His right leg was limp, the circuits in his calves severed and useless, and his left shoulder was burnt and warped from something extremely hot tearing through it. Dino jumped and woke up upon hearing Arcee's voice._

" _A-Arcee?" He coughed._

" _It's me, Dino." Arcee said. "I'm here to free you."_

" _N-no…run." Dino rasped._

" _What?"_

" _Run!"_

 _Arcee heard a thump behind her and instinctively ducked as an axe blade flew over her head, chipping a tiny piece of her cranium as she rolled away to stand in front of Dino protectively._

" _Who are you?" General Thrax growled. He was a surprisingly lithe mech-slender and strong in frame with an equine-like head, and an upper body that had was basically a horse's torso split in half with the front legs folded behind his shoulders. The hind legs sat on his forelegs, which were long and digitigrade. Steam snorted from his nostrils as he demanded who she was. "How did you get in here?"_

" _Like I'd tell you." Arcee replied. She slowly edged back towards Dino, still keeping her eyes on Thrax. "We're leaving this place, and you can't stop us."_

" _So you say." Thrax smirked and snapped his fingers._

 _The torus hanging above the two Autobots switched on and began to glow a bright bluish white. Arcee jumped back as bolts of lightning arced from the torus, but Dino wasn't so lucky. He was restrained to the chair with his legs shut off right under the torus and thus, was at the heart of the energy storm. He screamed as bolts of energy tore at his body, his metallic form naturally drawing electricity to him. Arcee could only watch in horror as Dino's body exploded from the overcharge, splattering parts and energon everywhere._

" _Dino!" Arcee cried. She heard Thrax quietly chuckling behind her and glared at him. "You bastard!"_

" _Did you really think I was just going to let you walk out of my station?" Thrax spun his spear in his hands. "If you thought that, then you're stupider than I thought, Autobot!"_

 _Arcee snarled and charged at Thrax, slashing at him wildly. Thrax swiftly dodged her attacks, deflecting and spinning around her strikes and waited for an opening before launching his own attack. His spear slammed against her swords and Arcee stumbled back for a moment before blocking his next attack. Soon they were engaged in a heated battle._

 _Thrax was a surprisingly competent fighter with actual skill aside from the gladiator battle style most Decepticons sported these days. In fact, Arcee realized, he might've been someone above her level. The ease at which he parried her attacks was too smooth, and he barely broke a sweat fighting her while she was putting more effort into defending herself._

 _Seeing that she wasn't making much progress fighting close quarters, Arcee jumped back and fired her blaster at his head. Thrax ducked under the blasts and pressed a button on his spear, causing the curved blade to shoot off like a projectile connected to the handle by a chain. It wrapped around Arcee's leg and pulled her off balance, causing her to drop her blaster. She fell on her back and Thrax was immediately on her, placing a foot on her chest to pin her in place._

" _You'd think a sane person would steer clear of the most heavily fortified location in the Torus States. But you're Autobots," Thrax growled. "Your kind isn't known for being smart."_

" _You Cons talk a lot for an army of so-called conquerors." Arcee smirked. "Guess thugs like you do take after your leader."_

 _Thrax's eyes blazed and steam spewed from his nose as he raised his spear over her chest."Say hello to your commander for me."_

 _He thrust his spear down, but then he was forced to use the weapon to deflect three five pointed stars thrown at his head. Snarling, he turned to face his attacker, only to get a kick to the back of his head from Jazz, who then took out a laser staff and slammed it into Thrax's chest to knock him back._

" _Jazz?" Arcee whispered, shocked. He was still in one piece after fighting the Vehicon squad, but his white and red striped body was covered in burns and cuts and dents. Even his curved blue visor was cracked._

" _I'd step away from the lady if I were you." Jazz warned. His voice was hard as stone, lacking any of the warmth and mirth it had earlier._

 _Thrax snorted and retracted the spear point to his staff."You don't give the orders here, Autobot. You and your friend will die in this place. If not by my hand, then by the army waiting just outside."_

" _You mean the army my crew and I successfully sneaked past already?"_

 _Thrax grunted and leapt at Jazz, swinging his spear in a wide arc at his head. Jazz leaned back so the blade sailed over his nose before jabbing Thrax in the stomach with his staff. Thrax took a step back and slashed his spear, cutting the staff in half. The weapon broke, but then it converted into a pair of nunchucks, which Jazz used to land a series of devastating blows to Thrax's upper body. The blunt weapons slammed into his body with bone shattering force, denting armor, rupturing circuit, and a head strike that briefly caused Thrax's optics to go to static for a second._

 _Thrax soon had enough of this humiliation and fought back when Jazz reeled his arm back for another head strike, crouching low and digging his spear into Jazz's side, cutting through his waist and severing an energon line near his lower torso. Jazz leapt back with a hiss, but Thrax pursued him like a Pneuma-lion that smelled energon. Thrax punched, Jazz blocked, Thrax stabbed, Jazz dodged. They weaved around each other in a tense dance of death of seasoned warriors. They were each trying to find an opening large enough to deal a killing blow. An opening Jazz found._

 _When Thrax went to stab forward, Jazz wrapped his nunchucks around the spear and pulled hard, causing the Con to overextend himself. Those few seconds was just enough to give Jazz enough time to spin into Thrax's guard, slamming his palms into his chest._

 _Arcee had no idea what happened, but she thought she saw some invisible force reverberate through Thrax's body like a ripple through water. Thrax coughed up energon with a wheez and stumbled back, his eyes rolling up into his head before they went dark. He fell to the floor, dead on impact._

" _Holy slag," Arcee gasped. "Is he…dead?"_

" _Yeah. Ruptured the power lines leading to his Spark core and caused an energon build up that exploded his circuits." Jazz explained, holding a hand to his side. "First rule of fighting a cyber-ninja-never fight them if you don't know what they can do."_

 _Arcee wanted to ask how he was able to do that to Thrax with just his hands, but she knew now wasn't the time. They had to get out before the rest of the security team found them._

 _Jazz led her out through the ventilation shafts that were just large enough for them to crawl through. They snuck out of the station through a shaft on the outside and were able to sneak away through the side streets before stopping to rest atop the roof of a building a fair distance from the station. Once she calmed down, Arcee vented her anger._

" _I can't believe this!" Arcee shouted. "Nothing went right on this mission! We were discovered, captured, my team leader is dead, and we weren't able to destroy the damn target!"_

 _Jazz put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, that last one? I got it covered."_

 _She stared at him. "Huh?"_

 _Jazz pressed a button on his wrist panel and there was a loud rumble before explosions began blooming around the station. Arcee jumped as a blast wave traveled through the streets and the station tower erupted in a pillar of fire that incinerated everything and everyone inside. The explosion was so great that it caused the small formation the tower was situated to break apart and collapse into the gorge, taking the bridge with it along the way. Few Decepticons were able to escape the explosion, and none could reach the mainland as the cliff face fell into the depths of the canyon below._

" _I littered the databanks with phase charges on my way to rescue you. That's what took me so long." Jazz grinned and beat his chest with a fist. "I didn't forget your mission, Cee. I got your back."_

 _Arcee watched the Polyhexian communications station burn, along with Thrax's body and the Decepticons stationed there. She should've been happy, but Dino's death still weighed on her mind. She was so close to saving him and yet he still died-just like the others._

" _Hey, Cee?" Jazz said. She looked over at him, eyes dark and sad."I put a request to boss bot to have you transferred to my unit. And he gave the okay."_

" _W-what?" Arcee blinked. "Why…?"_

" _You need help, Arcee. You're broken and hurting, I can see that. Losing friends and family is hard, as it is for everyone. But remember that you have your whole life ahead of you."_

" _My life was over when my sister died!"_

" _But would she want you wallowing in despair like this? Cee, if I were you, I wouldn't want to go out on a suicide mission because of Moonracer. I'd never be able to look her in the eye in the Allspark if something like that happened." Jazz told her seriously._

 _Arcee lowered her gaze, looking at her battle scarred hands. Jazz gave her a soft smile and patted her on the head. "Let me help you as a friend. I know you won't be back t normal, but all scars heal in some way, even mental ones. So…what do you say?"_

 _Arcee took a moment to answer, but her voice was loud and clear when she said, "Okay. I'll join your unit. But I don't think it's going to do my any good."_

" _You being there is already your first step to recovery." Jazz replied. "The rest of the journey is up to you."_

XXXXXX

"After that, Arcee joined my special-ops unit and I took her to Yoketron's dojo. I trained her there, both physically and spiritually, and over the next few deca-cycles, she regained some of that spark she lost after losing Moonracer. Obviously she wasn't a hundred percent, but she was coping. And that's what mattered." Jazz finished his story.

"Then you joined the Ark mission with Optimus, crashed here on Terra," Annie said, and she looked up at him with a smile, her one eye sparkling with a light she hadn't had since waking up. "And here we are."

"Yup." Jazz nodded. "Here we are."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the sounds of nature. Annie wordlessly placed a hand on Jazz's, and he lightly squeezed hers back. No words needed to be said at that time.

XXXXXX

Later that day, Annie sat on Bulkhead's chest in a considerably better mood after eating a hearty lunch and apologizing to Darren and Debbie. She watched his face as always, looking for signs of activity before greeting him. "Hey, Bulk. I hope you're doing okay. It's been rough these past few days, but I'm managing."

She fiddled with Mjolnir a bit before rubbing the spot where her arm was, a habit that was quickly becoming common with her. "Ratchet and Wheeljack are working to make me a new arm for me. It's going to take a while, since neither of them have much experience making prosthetics for tiny fleshies like me and with both of them being so busy lately. I can see all that well out of my other eye and I have some breathing problems that I hope are temporary. My talos is still trashed. So many things are going on at once and it's…scary. I was in a slump for a while, until Jazz just told me this cool story. I'll tell it to you when you wake up. I'm…a bit nervous about getting a new robo-arm, but I'm going to do what you've told me-keep my head up and face it with my fists, er, fist. It's what I plan to do whenever I'm faced with a roadblock like this. Because…I'm a Wrecker," She wiped her eyes. "We don't call for back-up. We call for cleanup."

"That's…my girl…"

Annie's eye shot open and she saw Bulkhead's eyes slightly open, a small grin on his face. More tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Bulkhead!"

* * *

 **That is the real end to Annie's mini-arc. Now I will focus on updating Distant Stars a few chapters before returning to this story to dish out some standalone chapters focusing on Dreadwing and Sara, followed by the final arc for this story-the Headmaster arc. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	33. The Empire of Corpses

Chapter 33-The Empire of Corpses

Demolishor grunted as he hit the floor, coughing a bit from that last blow to his torso. Dreadwing stood over him, covered in scratches with a steely look on his face. They had been sparring relentlessly for nearly the entire morning, but the Seeker didn't look the least bit exhausted. Probably because Demolishor was on the receiving end of these brutal beat downs.

"Again." He said.

Demolishor gritted his teeth and shot up, throwing a kick at Dreadwing's head. When Dreadwing moved to block it, Demolishor faked out and attacked with his large fist to the Seeker's chest plate. Unfortunately, Dreadwing was fast enough to grab his arm and throw him over his shoulder. The tank former hit the floor face first once again and tried to get up, only to get a kick to his chest for his troubles.

"Again." Dreadwing said.

"Dreadwing, stop," Demolishor coughed, getting to his knees. "We've been at this for nearly an hour. I've gotta rest."

"I said again!" Dreadwing rushed forward and grabbed Demolishor's head, slamming him to the floor and tightening his grip on the mech's face. "We stop only when I say we stop!"

"That's not your call to make, Dreadwing."

Dreadwing looked up and saw Nightshade walking towards them with Search in tow. Dreadwing glared at her, and she glared back until he had the sense to release Demolishor from his hold. The Con stood up in pain and limped out of the ring, with Search giving Dreadwing a rude hand gesture before escorting his partner to the med bay. Once they were gone, Nightshade jumped into the ring and marched up to Dreadwing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Nightshade asked. "We're fighting a war and your first inclination is to beat one of our soldiers within an inch of his life?"

"We were sparring. I don't see anything wrong with that." Dreadwing replied.

"That wasn't sparring, that was you venting your anger on a fellow comrade." Nightshade retorted, crossing her arms. Dreadwing huffed and tried to walk past her, only to stop when she addressed him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Back to my quarters, Nightshade."

"I don't recall dismissing you."

"I don't recall asking permission to leave."

They kept their backs to each other, not saying another word. The tension between them was thick enough for even a dumb grunt like Rumble to see. Songbird sat on a stool watching the interaction nervously, ruffling her steel fathers in agitation. It seemed that Dreadwing had finally crossed the line Nightshade had drawn in the ground without his notice.

Dreadwing's attitude had only been getting worse since Skyquake's death at the hands of the humans. There was a customary cremation and scattering of the ashes for the deceased Seeker after the Insecticons had come back victorious. Despite this, Dreadwing got more aggressive, losing his calm, stoic attitude and becoming more prone to fits of rage and acts of violence against his teammates. Nightshade noticed it first and convinced Megatron not to take disciplinary action against him. This mech was grieving, and feeling the death of a sibling was something that not even conjux endura suffer from.

She was abruptly taken out of her thoughts when she heard a loud clang and saw Nightshade and Dreadwing spin around, throwing their fists at each other. Both punches made contact with the other's cheek and they skidded back at the same time. Dreadwing charged at Nightshade and threw a series of punches at her, which she easily dodged before kicking him in the chest and uppercutting his face. He stumbled back, but recovered enough to block another kick with his leg. Nightshade forced his leg down and pulled him forward, punching him in the nose and leaping back to dodge a swipe from his hand.

Songbird watched entranced as they fought with hands and feet, no weapons, only close quarters skill. She had never seen Nightshade or Dreadwing spar against each other, since they didn't want the entire team placing bets on them or anything stupid like that. But the Minicon knew that this was no simple spar. It was Nightshade giving him her own dose of discipline, on top of gauging his mental state. Talking won't help in this situation-only fists will suffice.

Nightshade ducked under a punch from Dreadwing and tried to slash her sharp fingers along his face, only for him to grab her arm and throw her at the wall. She landed on the vertical surface and pushed off, slamming her forehead into Dreadwing's face. He was knocked back and stunned, allowing her to unleash a flurry of blows against his body. She wasn't physically strong like him, but her blows hurt enough to keep him from retaliating. Each punch felt stronger than the last, and when she started drawing energon, Nightshade finished up her assault with a brutal axe-kick to the top of his head, sending him crashing to the floor.

Dreadwing groaned, bleeding energon from his mouth and nose, face covered in scratches and his right eye cavity dented. Nightshade stood over him, face impassive to his pain.

"Get up." She said. When he failed to follow her order she kicked him in the shoulder. "I said get up. You wanted to fight, then fight!"

Dreadwing glared up at her.

"GET UP!"

"Rah!" Dreadwing leapt up and lunged at her. Nightshade drew her sword and slashed him across the chest before grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back.

"Doesn't feel so good when you're the one being beat down, are you?" Nightshade whispered. "This little tantrum you're having ends now."

"Or what?" Dreadwing growled.

"Or Megatron gets involved, and he'll make sure you won't be able to stand on your own." She continued. Dreadwing stopped struggling, silently submitting to her. "Good. Now go fly off somewhere and cool down. You're of no use to anyone stewing in your anger here."

He pushed her off and marched out of the room, still tense with anger. Nightshade watched him go and shook her head with a sigh. Maybe this required a more subtle hand than an ass whooping.

XXXXXX

Dreadwing stood atop a cliff high atop a mountain, far from human civilization and situated at levels no human has yet reached. The air was cool and fresh, and the harsh temperatures and violent winds didn't affect him. Nightshade told him to cool off, and he was doing just that, and it was working…somewhat. It was going to take a long time for him to truly get over losing his brother, his other half. This pain in his Spark, it was nothing Nightshade or even Megatron could understand. This dealt with a connection few bots experienced upon birth.

The concept of biological family was foreign among a race of asexual robotic organisms. Many were born in hot spots as singular Sparks, but a handful would sometimes be born in pairs. Twins were uncommon but not rare, though they do not look alike. The Spark splits either upon igniting in a hot spot, or during maturation, and thus the bots born from such a split are considered "siblings". Dreadwing and Skyquake were born as one such pair in a hot spot outside of Vos.

Don't mistake Dreadwing for having particularly strong feelings for Skyquake. His brother was impulsive and quick to anger, his polar opposite you could say. Dreadwing had little tolerance for Skyquake's tantrums and rashness, and they clashed heads often. But they were a solid team that had survived countless battles by relying on each other, and shared a sense of battlefield honor that they believe put them above the normal Seeker standards. Death was not something to be fear or abhorred, but to them, a perfect death was a death at the hands of a superior warrior who proved themselves. Warriors like Optimus Prime or Grimlock.

Which was why it was so insulting that these humans, creatures smaller and weaker than them, had decapitated a seasoned warrior like Skyquake. It was a dishonorable death at the hand of godless heathens. What made it even worse was the pain. Because they were born from the same Spark, they were intimately connected on a mental and physical level thought to be mythical among human twins. This bond allowed them to feel each other's pain, and Dreadwing felt it all. That brief moment of pain followed by the agonizing emptiness brought about by the loss of his twin. The sudden silence that sprouts after so many stellar cycles was not something that can be dealt with in a few days. And Dreadwing knew he didn't have the luxury of taking years to adjust. But he couldn't just let this go, bury it under a layer of military discipline like he did with his loss against Optimus. This was personal, and he hated it when it got to that level.

A loud crackling boom took Dreadwing from his thoughts and he instinctively went for his cannon, thinking it was an attack. It took him only a second to realize that it was no enemy attack, but a sonic boom being performed by one of the Seekers under his command, Thundercracker. Dreadwing straightened out as Thundercracker shot overhead, moving so fast he was a blur to the naked eye. Thundercracker must have noticed him, since he circled around and decreased his speed, flying towards the cliff and transforming to land on the ground.

"Dreadwing, what are you doing here?" Thundercracker asked.

"Thinking." Dreadwing answered curtly. Thundercracker waited for him to elaborate, but realized that Dreadwing had nothing to say.

"So…nice view up here." Thundercracker noted. "This planet's been infuriating so far, but it certainly has some damn good views."

"I did not come here to sightsee, Thundercracker."

"Right, right, I was just…making an observation." Thundercracker winced at the awkwardness of the moment. What do you say to a bot who's lost his brother recently? "Um, are you…"

"What were you doing just now?" Dreadwing asked.

"Me? I was practicing."

"Practicing?"

"Yeah, with my sonic boom ability."

Dreadwing nodded. He knew that Thundercracker had the ability to create control sonic booms either in his alt mode or robot mode. He never saw him use it all that much though, despite the advantages it had in battle, and he assumed it was why Starscream kept Thundercracker near him so many times-having two outliers as bodyguards would make most people think twice about messing with you.

"I'm good at it, but I've never really used it that much. It's hard controlling the sonic waves." Thundercracker went on. "Most people think I'm an outlier, but Knockout says that my ability might not actually be a power, since it doesn't evolve beyond its capabilities."

Dreadwing grunted and turned to look back out to the horizon. Thundercracker sighed and decided to take the plunge.

"Dreadwing…look, I know it's hard, losing Skyquake and all. Believe me, I've lost my fair share of-"

"You don't know a damn thing!" Dreadwing growled, spinning around and getting into Thundercracker's face. "This isn't some misguided sense of Seeker loyalty among Starscream's dogs. This is a bond between brothers, between us that was broken. That pain I felt, the agony of my brother's demise and the emptiness in my Spark that followed…it's not going to fade away! That silence will stay with me for the rest of my life!"

"I know! I'm sorry I'm digging into your wounds, but I just want to help. We're Seekers, brothers of the sky. It's my obligation to at least help you through this with my support-"

"What support? You're Starscream's lapdog that tried to help him commit treason in broad daylight." Dreadwing's scathing laugh was like a knife through Thundercracker's Spark. "Don't try to act like you're your own person, because no matter what you do-in the end, you're still a clone of him. You'll still follow his lead even if it means you'll be dragged down into hell with him!"

"That's enough, Dreadwing!" Nightshade's dark form swooped down on them and landed between the two mechs. Still in beast mode, Nightshade craned her head over to Thundercracker. "Give us some time alone. I need to have a talk with your esteemed commander."

Thnudercracker nodded and transformed to fly away. When he was gone, Nightshade turned to glare at the still fuming Dreadwing, who was just starting to calm down.

"My…apologies, Nightshade. I don't know what came over me." He said lowly.

"I do. You're letting your emotions get the better of you. You're snapping at your comrades and acting like Skywarp after a bad Friday night." Nightshade transformed and looked him in the eye. "You're letting your pain grow, instead of trying to heal it. That's not how a warrior deals with his pain. Skyquake died, that's sad, but that's war. You should've known that at least one of you could die in this war. I know death is no stranger to you."

"You are correct, my lady. My behavior is less than acceptable. It's just…my brother's death was nowhere near what I thought it would be. He died at the hands of humans…vermin who think they have a place in our war." Dreadwing shook his head. "Just the thought makes me enraged."

"Get used to it. The natives on this rock are as annoying as the creatures that populate its distant shores. Be glad you didn't run into a dragon." She said wryly and sighed. "Look, don't let this cause you to charge to your death. You're the first decent Seeker commander since Phaedra. We can't go losing you now."

Dreadwing nodded. "Of course, Nightshade."

Nightshade heard a chime on her comm and switched it on. "Nightshade here, what is it?"

" _Nightshade, we've got another Minicon activation somewhere in the Pacific Ocean."_ Megatron said. " _I want you and Dreadwing to go retrieve that panel before the Autobots' flyboys get there first."_

"We'll move out at once, Megatron." Nightshade said and looked at Dreadwing. "Looks like you'll get a chance to vent your frustration after all."

Dreadwing watched her fly off into the air before transforming to jet mode and following after her at cruising speed. They both disappeared into the ground bridge hanging in the sky and traveled to their destination…a location that would prove to be one of their most horrifying missions in their Terra campaign.

XXXXXX

The ground bridge dropped them off somewhere over the pacific ocean, near the Sunehra subcontinent. Nightshade and Dreadwing emerged from the portal into a thick cloud of fog that immediately made it hard to see. They had to rely on their sensors to direct them toward their destination, since they could barely see anything else but the ocean.

"Is it normally this foggy in the area?" Dreadwing asked.

"Sunehra's known for its monsoons and heavy rainfall, but this fog is ridiculous. I don't recall fog banks forming over large bodies of water this far from land before." Nightshade said. Looking around, she glanced over at Songbird. "Did you get anything, Songbird?"

"No, mistress. I'm not detecting the panel yet. In fact…it seems the signal vanished as soon as we appeared over the ocean." Songbird said.

That raised Nightshade's danger senses. Either the panel was hidden in the ocean again like the one from that underwater city, or something was amiss here. She warned Dreadwing to keep an eye out for anything strange, no matter how small and ordered Songbird to link up with her. This was definitely going to be one of those missions.

That was when she heard a loud whooshing sound in the distance. Dreadwing was about to inquire about what that was before a large shadow fell over them and a roar tore through the air.

"Dragon!" Nightshade yelled. The massive reptilian beast was a dragon of the European species, a large body covered in ivory scales supported by four muscular legs and a large wing span that could engulf them three times over. Nightshade was no stranger to dragons since her encounter with on in Sunehra, but it was strange to see one usually native to western Europa in Southeast Asia. That inquiry could be saved for later when a giant fire breathing reptile wasn't trying to torch them on the spot. "Take evasive action!"

She and Dreadwing increased their speed to escape the dragon, who seemed intent on chasing them, flapping its wings furiously to keep up pace with them. And to their surprise, it was doing a very good job of doing that. It belched large plumes of flames at them that they were forced to swerve to avoid, and it would snap at them with a long jaw full of sharp teeth once it got close enough.

Songbird clung to her mistress's wing and risked a glance back at the beast. It was right on top of them, and that few seconds of studying the beast told Songbird that something was wrong. This dragon's scales looked too soft to be plated scales capable of deflecting small arms and blades. In fact, upon closer look, they didn't look like scales at all, but…skin? Yes, skin, with eyes that looked rotted around the edges and misshapen teeth sprouting from black gums. This beast looked less like a dragon and more like a flying corpse.

"Mistress-"

"Not now, Songbird!" Nightshade said.

"But Mistress-" Songbird gasped as a large mountain suddenly appeared in the fog before them. "Look out!"

Even Dreadwing was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the mountain, and in his haste to pull up; he accidentally bumped into Nightshade, throwing her off balance just as the dragon fire another blast at them. To his horror, the blast caught Nightshade dead on and she went downward, smoke trailing from her wings and tail feathers. Dreadwing spun around and transformed in the air, firing his cannon into the dragon's open mouth just as it inhaled for another fire blast. The laser blasts caught it in the throat and it began to choke, hacking and coughing.

Dreadwing dived towards Songbird and Nightshade, catching the Minicon and holding her close while grabbing hold of Nightshade and pulling her to his chest. They crashed into a large forest below them, disappearing through the canopy and out of the dragon's sight. As for the dragon itself, it crashed into the side of the mountain and fell to the ground face first, igniting the flames in its mouth and going up in a massive fireball that killed it instantly. The pillar of flames rose into the air, briefly lighting up the dark forest for a moment before an invisible wave of force swept across the island and snuffed out the inferno before it could spread.

Had anyone been looking at the flames from above, they would've been able to see a brief outline of an island down below, and a forest that was shown not in green, but in bone white.

XXXXXX

Nightshade groaned in pain as she regained consciousness. Her wings stung furiously from their burns and it hurt to move. She saw Songbird standing close to her hear, studying her condition with her large red eyes.

"Mistress, are you okay?" She asked concerned. Nightshade tried to move her wings but hissed.

"Define okay." Nightshade sighed and slowly sat up. Dreadwing limped over to her and helped her to her feet.

"Can you transform?" He asked.

"L-let me see." Nightshade tensed up as her T-cog spun and her body slowly, painfully reconfigured from her beast mode. She ignored the burning pain in her wings as she slowly shifted to her humanoid mode, sitting on her knees and forcing her wings into place on her back. Once she was done, she stood up and exhaled. "That was harder than it needed to be."

Songbird hopped onto a branch. "Mistress, shall we call for medical assistance?"

"Don't bother. I've tried calling Knockout, but I can't make contact with the Nemesis." Dreadwing told them. "And I can't locate the panel either."

"Wonderful. Isolated on some island with a wounded commander in a forest of…white trees?" Nightshade blinked when she finally noticed that the trees around them weren't green but white. She walked over to one and leaned in to study it, only to recoil in shock. "What the hell is this?!"

The trees weren't made of bark, they were made of bone. The fog obscured their vision, but now that they realized they were in no normal forest, it felt like the fog began to lift just so they could see their macabre surroundings. The trees were made of bone tissue in place of bark, with long, skinny branches that looked like multi-jointed human arms, and they were in fact just that. Dreadwing's face drew back in disgust as ran his hand along the trunk of one tree, feeling the interwoven tendons and muscles coated in bone tissue. And if he really focused, he could feel a faint beating beneath the bone, a heart that was clearly alive and pumping what could be blood throughout the "tree".

Nightshade's eyes ran along the trunk, where the arm-like branches split at the elbow and branched out into two or three forearms. These arms had hands, and in the palms of these hands were singular eyes. All facing the three Decepticons. The knowledge of what these plants were surprisingly made Nightshade sick and she took a step back into Dreadwing.

"Correction, isolated and wounded on an island full of rotting dragons and trees made from human organs. Frag me." She growled.

"I may not have been on this planet for long, but even I know that these are not the native flora of this planet. Nightshade, what is this?" Dreadwing asked.

"Hell if I know, Dreadwing, this planet is strange enough as it is."

Songbird eyed the palm eyes warily and hopped onto Nightshade's shoulders. "Mistress, what should we do?"

"What we came here to do. Find that Minicon." Nightshade said.

"But we have no way of contacting the Nemesis," Dreadwing protested. "And I doubt that dragon was the only one that prowls the skies over this island."

"We'll worry about that later. If we don't get that Minicon, then trudging through this unholy forest will be for nothing." She said and had Songbird located the panel's last known location. "If I'm going to have nightmares from this, it might as well be worth it."

Dreadwing frowned, but he followed her anyway. He tried to ignore the palm eyes following his every movement until he disappeared into the forest, and they slowly closed shut, as if in sleep.

XXXXXX

The sound of bone popping echoed throughout the cave, followed by a horrific scream. Flesh split and blood fell to the ground in gallons. But no one died. No one could die. They were granted eternal life here so long as _she_ lived on this island. She wouldn't let them die, for their bodies were hers. Their souls were her jewels and their bones her tools of trade. Their bodies were simply…materials.

Here in the depths of her abode, Gehenna, she was queen. Alone and isolated, she had no one to occupy her time with. No idol to worship, no family to call her own. No, she was the idol, and her legions of corpses that she built her kingdom upon. She was no longer bound by the limitations of mortality and life. Now she was the goddess, the empress of this empire of corpses. All flesh in her realm was her domain, her weapon, her materials for which her empire was composed of.

The people of the surrounding islands didn't dare travel into her territory. They were smart enough to avoid entering her realm and possibly ending up as a walking flesh doll at her beck and call. But these three…machines that suddenly appeared over her island were an anomaly she couldn't overlook. She didn't know if they were creations of the world outside, or if they were the automatons of old, but either way, they had to be destroyed. Anything that proved to be a threat to her rule, to her empire, needed to die. No one could have eternal life but her and her alone.

Letting the screaming man in her grasp fall to the ground in a bloody heap, Natasha of the City of Rot stood from her throne of bones and muscle tissue to prepare for the eradication of these intruders. The woman raised her hand and the pale white bodies of naked flesh and exposed skeletons stood at attention, groaning and growling at they heard their empress's commands.

 _Seek out the metal men. Find them. Kill them. Leave nothing behind._

The bodies lumbered out of her throne room, heavy footsteps making the ground shake. They were less than animals, but their hunting abilities were no less than that of natural predators. Natasha would not let them have her. She will strip the metal from their iron bones before she lets them have her!

Let the Carnival of Flesh begin!

XXXXXX

The deeper the three Decepticons went into the bone forest (as Nightshade began calling it), the most unsettling things became. It was as if the plants were substituted for human body parts and organs. Trees made of bone and tissue underneath, complete with a cardiovascular system like a heart pumping blood throughout the trunk, with live lungs breathing. It wasn't as bad as when he realized there were mouths sprouting from the ground around those trees, licking up the blood that would seep through the soil and whisper sweet nothings into the air. All the while, those thousand eyes trailed after them, watching, but never blinking.

'Just when I thought this planet couldn't disgust me further.' Dreadwing thought scowling.

"Don't look at them."

"Hm?" Dreadwing turned to Nightshade. "What was that?"

"If you look at them, they'll only get worse. Ignore those eyes, ignore the whispers, focus on the mission." She said, staring forward.

"Speaking from experience?"

"I've experience horrors like this before, last year. A dolem saw fit to mess with my memories and I tore that bastard apart." Nightshade glanced back at him. "I don't know if this is the work of one, but don't let it get to you. After a while, these things stop becoming disturbing and become tiresome."

"Easy for you to say." Songbird muttered. Nightshade flicked her on the head.

They continued walking deeper into the forest, nearing the position where the panel should be (if it was a panel in the first place). It took some getting used to, but they were slowly able to ignore the grotesque organ trees and blood soaked ground with hungry mouths. But unfortunately, just as they were getting acclimated to the oppressive atmosphere, they were greeted by more disturbing things the island had to throw at them. Nightshade was the one who noticed it first and had Dreadwing stop in his tracks.

"Do you feel that?" She asked.

"I do," Dreadwing said and reached back to grab his cannon. "The ground…it's vibrating."

"Footsteps. Something big is heading our way." Nightshade waited for a moment before urging Dreadwing to follow her. "We need to get moving. This is not the ideal place to get ambushed in."

They quickly trudged past the trees and into a wide clearing full of white grass that Nightshade figured was some obscure human organ that she couldn't be bothered to remember. They ran to the heart of the clearing when they felt the heavy thumping again, this time, it was much closer. Dreadwing took out his cannon while Songbird powerlinked with Nightshade. They stood back to back as they finally saw what was pursuing them. And it wasn't what they were expecting.

"Humans?" Nightshade exclaimed.

The creatures that approached them certainly looked like humans, but that was where the similarities ended. For one, they were around 20 feet tall, though some were larger, others were smaller. Their skin was deathly white, like a corpse, eyes glazed over and sightless, naked as the day they were born, yet seemingly clean of any dirt or grime. Most were no different in appearance from regular humans, but some had deformities such as enlarged heads, elongated arms, jaws that were ripped open in wide grins that didn't shut close, bulged out bellies, short legs that shouldn't even be able to hold their weight and so on. They lumbered on like puppets, wobbly and uncoordinated, clearly lacking the intelligence to do anything other than stare ahead and look menacing.

"I stand corrected," Nightshade said. "Sometimes, things like this can still be menacing this far in the game."

It was hard to tell their exact numbers, but there were enough of these creatures to surround them en masse. Nightshade and Dreadwing were ready for any surprises, but the humanoid beasts just stood there, staring right at them. They didn't move, they didn't even breath, they just stood in a circle, studying their prey. Dreadwing tightened his grip on his cannon when he started hearing the low growls from the beasts.

"What are they?" He whispered.

"Not a clue." Nightshade replied, surprise evident in her voice. These weren't dolems. They weren't even human! Nightshade recalled hearing terran legends of ancient giants that ate humans and terrorized them in mythology. "For convenience sake, let's call these monsters giants."

"Giants? Very funny, Nightshade." Dreadwing said. "What's the point in naming something you're going to kill?"

"So we can have bragging rights. Can't brag about something with no name can we?" She smirked and raised her rail gun at the army of giants. "Now are you ugly bastards going to stand there or are we going to-"

One of the giants, a small ten foot midget with a grinning maw of sharp triangle teeth, leapt at Nightshade. She shot its head off and its bloody remains fell to the ground with a wet splat. That single shot set off the giants and they all charged with bellowing roars and howls the filled the night air.

They all came at them at once, and the two Decepticons wasted no time in shooting their weapons. Plasma bursts and laser bolts did tremendous damage to bare flesh, burning and ripping apart the giants that just ran head first into the defensive assault and were brutally taken down. But despite their weakness to energy weapons, they made up for it in numbers. Within minutes, they got too close for guns to work and the Decepticon pair was forced to switch to melee.

Nightshade took out her swords and began cutting them down, jumping over the larger ones and severing their heads in quick strikes before moving onto the next giant. Dreadwing was fairing just as well, taking out three giants at a time with wide slashes and throwing bombs at their feet to take care of those farther away. Dreadwing heard a growl behind him and turned around just in time to see a giant with long, skinny fingers ending in claws charging at him. He leapt back so the surprisingly sharp nails only scratched his chest before cutting the giant in half.

Nightshade ducked under a leaping giant and kicked it in the face, knocking out its teeth before spinning around and goring another with her sharp fingers. It might have been her, but it felt like they were getting faster in their attacks. She barely registered the wicked cackle that came from her left before two abnormally long arms shot at her like spears. She leapt over them and sliced them off before beheading the giant that dared to attack her.

"We need to move! We'll be pinned here if we stay in the clearing!" She called out.

"Head to the forest! We can lose them in there!" Dreadwing said. He took out three bombs and boosted off the ground, throwing them in three different locations. He landed and sprinted over to Nightshade, taking her arm and pulling her into the forest. The giants gave chase, but the bombs detonated and engulfed the giants in flames.

Nightshade and Dreadwing ran through the bone forest with a small horde chasing after them. They were truly a terrifying sight; a stampede of giant cannibalistic humans chasing after their prey through the dark, eyes gleaming, jaws biting, teeth gnashing. A few would leap at them, but Dreadwing would cut them down midair before they could even get within breathing distance. Finally, Nightshade had enough and stopped in her tracks.

"Get down!" She yelled.

Dreadwing saw her draw Gandiva and leapt to the side. He took cover behind a tree as Nightshade fired her arrow at the oncoming horde. The giants exploded in a bright flash of white flames and chunks of flesh as they were nearly vaporized on contact. Dreadwing stumbled a bit from the explosion, but righted himself for anymore giants that might've survived. Thankfully, none had survived the direct hit from the powerful weapon. Nightshade sagged in relief and leaned against a tree.

"This is ridiculous." Nightshade breathed. She was so frustrated that she didn't notice Songbird disconnect from her arm. "We're getting nowhere fast, and now someone's trying to bump us off."

"And we have no idea who this someone is." Dreadwing sighed. He holstered his sword and looked around. The bone trees that were caught in the blast were broken at the trunks and bleeding profusely. He could see the exposed lungs inside the trunk gasping for air, the ruptured heart beating furiously to circulate blood agonizingly. Dreadwing grimaced and look down, only to see Skyquake's head at his feet, dead eyes staring up at him. "Ah!"

Nightshade jumped when Dreadwing screamed and backed away into a tree, nearly knocking it over. "Dreadwing, what's wrong with you?"

Dreadwing looked at her, and she saw the slightly crazed look in his eyes. He looked terrified, like a protoforms seeing the darkness of the world for the first time. He looked back down at the head and saw that it was only a giant's decapitated head on the ground, not Skyquake's. Dreadwing scowled and stomped on the head, smashing its skull into bloody chunks and stomping its fleshy remains into the ground. He swung his arm and smashed apart another tree next to him, glaring at all the eyes staring straight at him from the palm leaves.

"You think you can scare me?!" Dreadwing roared. "I am a Decepticon warrior. We instill fear in our enemies, we are FEAR!" He punched the tree again, making sure to rake his fingers into the hard bone cartilage and tissue beneath. "Your games won't do a thing against me! Why don't you face us like a warrior instead of hiding behind your savages!"

"Would you stop it!" Nightshade hissed. She ran up to him and slapped him hard in the face. "You're hysterical you fool! I told you not to let this island's tricks get to you!"

Dreadwing grunted. "But…"

"Skyquake is dead. Get used to it, because nothing's going to change. You're still alive and you're still needed. But I can't exactly use you if you're jumping at shadows." Nightshade glared at him before sighing and looking away. "You think you're the only one hurting from a lost one? Thousands of Decepticons have lost people they cared about to this damn war, and I've had a reputation built on losing people under my command. My lover, Damus, he was the first of those people and the list just grows from there. So don't think that acting like a damn caveman is going to bring your brother back!"

Dreadwing stared at her with a surprised expression. This pep talk was the last thing he expected from Megatron's second in command, although he realized that she had her fair share of demons that haunt her. He only heard of Damus in passing from Soundwave once, Nightshade's lover who was a victim of the Functionists on Cybertron. Sudden he knew that compared to her, his problems seemed rather obsolete. It was humbling actually.

Their little talk was cut short when Songbird gave a sharp cry and flew between them. "Mistress, I have found the Minicon we're looking for! She's been released from her panel somehow?"

"Already?" Nightshade inquired. "How did you…?"

"I was contacted by her, mistress. It was on a private Minicon channel that Sparkplug hasn't secured yet. This Minicon…she's scared, mistress. She's at the heart of this madness and she's terrified." Songbird said. "She's not one of our agents, but she's willing to accept help from us."

"Where is she?" Dreadwing asked.

Songbird pointed her wing at the giant mountain sticking up from the center of the island. Nightshade and Dreadwing gave each other hardened looks before transforming and flying towards the mountain. This mission just went from retrieval to rescue.

XXXXXX

Ariel (Armada Ironhide) shivered in her little hiding space, hoping and praying that help came soon. She was stuck hiding in a small cave only she was small enough to climb into. It was a tight fit, but it provided her safe haven from those giant monsters that tried to bite her in half. She had no idea where she was, what planet this was, what year this was, and if her friends were even alive. The Decepticons were her only hope…and she could care less.

"Where are you little golem? I can sense you, but…you're hard to find."

Ariel closed her eyes and struggled to hold her whimpers in. That organic female, the woman, she was terrifying. The woman was like a wraith come to torment her from the Pit. She…controlled these giants of hers like they were extensions of her body. The organic was no bigger than her, but she had far more power than Ariel thought she had. If she went outside now only death awaited her. She was stuck here until those Decepticons came.

"I know you're waiting for help, little golem. Those giants of yours are no match for a goddess who controls flesh itself." The witch cackled. "When they come, I'll rip them apart, and then I'll move onto you and make sure your death is just as slow and painful!"

Ariel did her best to ignore the taunts and kept her eyes shut, afraid that the minute she opened them, that witch would be staring right at her.

XXXXXX

"Nightshade."

"What?"

The two Cons were flying circles around the mountain, trying to find an opening for them to fly into, but they found nothing. They kept an eye out for anymore dragons, but the skies were clear for once. Songbird kept trying to contact the wayward Minicon, but she couldn't get a signal through anymore, and it worried the avian Minicon.

"What happened to Damus, if you don't mind me asking?" Dreadwing inquired softly. Seeing her raven head turn over to him with narrowed eyes, he quickly begged for forgiveness. "I apologize, my lady. I didn't mean to pry."

Nightshade turned back forward the mountain, silent for a few minutes before replying quietly. "He's…gone."

"Gone? As in…he has died?"

"In a way." She answered vaguely. "At least…he's dead to me."

"There!" Songbird nudged her head in the direction of a small hole in the westward facing mountainside. Nightshade and Dreadwing flew towards the hole and landed on the ledge, shifting to robot mode. They took out their weapons and stood at the opening, which was barely lit more than a few feet ahead of them.

"I'll take point, Nightshade. Stay behind me." Dreadwing said. She nodded and had Songbird link to her arm before following the Seeker inside.

As they went deeper into the tunnel, they found themselves going down a steep slope, where the light from the moon outside finally died out once they went past its reach and total darkness engulfed them. They switched their optics to infrared, but the darkness was still unsettling, especially after what they saw outside. It was hard to be prepared for something even though you were trained to expect the unexpected. This island was just a reminder of how ungodly things were on this planet.

The tunnel they were walking through stopped at a flat cliff with the opening at the end and they both made sure they were fully prepped before walking out of the tunnel and onto a ledge. And just as they stepped onto the cliff, a fire blast hit the ledge and destroyed it.

"Scatter!" Nightshade yelled. They flew off in different directions as a more serpentine dragon called a drake, sporting the same white skin as the last dragon, slithered after them in the air, pushing off the ground to snap at the Cons. "I am so sick of dragons!"

The drake hissed and lunged at her, but she twisted her body out of the way and grabbed onto the horns on its head. She pulled herself onto its back and stabbed her swords into its long neck, causing it to howl in pain. Dreadwing came up from behind and began shooting laser blasts at its lower body. Without the protection of scales, it was horribly vulnerable to artillery fire. It thrashed its tail and managed to score a hit off Dreadwing, slamming him into the ground. Nightshade held on to its horns as it tried to dislodge her, but she held on tightly and continued stabbing it in the neck.

"Die already!" She screamed and raised her other sword. She jammed the blade straight into its skull and twisted as hard as she could. The drake's dead eyes rolled up into its head and it swayed back and forth before falling back. Nightshade jumped off before it hit the ground, cracking its skull with a hard smack into a stalactite. She spat at it and kicked its tail. "Fragging lizard. I'm killing the lot of you when Megatron takes over this planet."

Dreadwing groaned and stood up, rubbing his aching back. "That was easier than it should've been."

"That was just a welcoming present, honored guests."

Nightshade and Dreadwing raised their weapons as they saw their gracious "host" walk out into the open from a cluster of black onyx stones arranged in a way to form a throne. The Cons blinked when they saw that it wasn't a dolem assaulting them at all.

"You're human?" Nightshade said.

The women was a human with deathly pale skin and long, shiny black hair tied into a high ponytail almost as dark as the surrounding shadows. She was almost completely naked, clad in a thin top that barely constrained her ample chest and a lower dress that hugged her curves nicely. She was a beauty, but in the same way Nightshade was; a femme fatale that used her looks to kill, and the fangs in her mouth that gleamed when she grinned was more than enough to show that she was a predator. But the object in her hand was what caught Nightshade's attention. It was a staff with a glowing emerald gem no top that glowed faintly.

"I am Natasha, good friends. Welcome to my celebration." She said in a sickly sweet voice. "I'm so glad you were able to trudge all the way here."

"Celebration?" Dreadwing asked.

"Yes, the Carnival of Flesh. My macabre dance of all that is chaotic and profane. I do this around the same time every year. My subjects love the freedom it gives them, the freedom to break the bonds of their flesh prisons and evolve into something more." Natasha gazed at the assortment of giants that were gathering on the outskirts of the cavern. More disfigured human-like giants that looked at their queen with empty gazes alight with reverence and care. "These people were once humans who sought to kill me for my power, for being stronger than them, but I showed them their place. Now they live lives without the burden of pain, feelings or prejudices. They are content as newborn babies…and I'd like to keep it that way."

Nightshade narrowed her eyes. "You're an esper. That explains all this sick mess coming our way." She eyed the staff. That thing was probably what turned the humans into those giants, and made the island's flora the way it is. And if her hunch was correct, then that staff was just like her bow-a weapon of the dolems. But her power didn't turn the people into these monsters, then what were her abilities?

"Yes, and you're intruders seeking what rightfully belongs to me." Natasha lost her smile and was glaring at the two bots with cold, amber gold eyes.

"Finders keepers doesn't count when the people who own the object come knocking on your door." Nightshade retorted.

"Unless said people are dead at my feet!" Natasha lashed out with a powerful energy bolt from her staff, which moved faster than Nightshade anticipated and hit her in the chest. She was blasted off her feet and onto her back, skidding across the ground with her wings digging painfully into the hard rock.

Dreadwing growled and fired his cannon, but Natasha sprinted forward lashing out with tendrils of energy that whipped against Dreadwing's form. He grunted as burning whips of green energy dug into his armor, and he tried gunning her down, but as a small target, she was a lot faster. Natasha spun around and fired an energy drill that shot at Dreadwing faster than he could react, hitting him in the shoulder and making him lose his cannon. He stumbled back and she raised her staff, summoning more tendrils to grab hold of his arms and legs. Dreadwing struggled, but the strength of his bonds dragged him to his knees.

"I can control you since you're metal, but I'm sure it'll work on whatever makes you tick." Natasha grinned and pointed her staff at his chest for a killing shot. She didn't notice Nightshade aiming Gandiva until she fired the arrow directly at the staff in precise control.

Dreadwing was thrown onto his back from the explosion, smoke covering his vision. He sat up and drew his sword, moving over to Nightshade as she kept her bow pointed in the woman's direction. "Did you kill her?"

"I was aiming for the staff, but I'm pretty sure I mana-"A bright flash of light fill the cave and blinded them momentarily before a loud scream of pure rage made the cavern tremble. Nightshade looked forward; just catching sight of the ashes of the staff on the ground before a large form came charging out of the smoke.

Natasha's esper power was in fact the ability to transform into a giant just like her subjects, only her form was different. Her hair was white and only reached her shoulders, her skin was tight against her body like leather, with parts of her chest cavity and ribs prominent against her skin and her eyes were two large pools of emerald rage that stood out against her pale skin. She stood around Dreadwing's height, but moved faster than the Seeker, rushing at them like a mad bull. Nightshade fired another arrow, but Natasha ducked under it and rammed her shoulder into Nightshade's chest.

She sent the black femme flying off her feet, and saw Dreadwing coming at her with his sword. She caught his arm and threw a punch at his face, only for him to catch her fist as well. Human and Decepticon grappled for dominance, pushing against each other while trying not to lose their footing. Dreadwing gnashed his teeth and glared into Natasha's eyes, using his rage to fuel his strength and overcome this inferior being. But Natasha was stronger, and slightly cleverer. She let him gain more ground before hooking her foot behind his leg and making him lose his footing. He stumbled back and she pulled her arm free and spun around, grabbing his head and lifting him over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground.

Nightshade lunged at her and kicked her in the face. Blood spurted from her broken nose, but Natasha recovered and assaulted Nightshade with a barrage of punches that were strong enough to puncture stone. One punch hit Nightshade in the shoulder, making her wince, but she ignored the pain and backhanded Natasha in the jaw, dislocating it. It instantly reconnected and Natasha kicked her away. Snatching up her sword, Natasha stabbed Nightshade in the chest and pinned her to the wall.

"You machines aren't so powerful when fighting someone your own size, are you?" Natasha growled. "You stomp around thinking you're untouchable, but you're not. Death comes for all creatures, and you robots are no different!"

"You're right, we're not!" Nightshade coughed, grinning at the esper despite the pain in her chest. "But unlike you, we don't try to avoid death because we're afraid of it!"

Natasha growled and raised a clawed hand to rip her face off, but Dreadwing appeared behind her and ran his sword into her back and out her chest. Blood erupted from her chest, and Natasha gurgled as blood was coughed up from her throat. Dreadwing pulled the sword out and spun around, severing her head in one clean swipe. He kicked her body aside to bleed out like a ruptured fire hydrant, running over to help Nightshade. He began to gingerly pull the sword out, but she grunted and glared at him.

"Just pull it out already!" She hissed. Dreadwing nodded and took the sword out in one quick pull. She fell to her feet, and into his arms, where he helped her away from the corpse of the esper woman, which was releasing steam like a sauna. "Thank Primus that was over."

"Look." Dreadwing pointed to the giants in the cave. They had all fallen over, and their flesh was rapidly evaporating off their bodies, leaving behind only skeletons. "It appears the damage she's done with her staff is vanishing along with her."

"I could care less as long as we get the hell off this nightmare island." She grumbled. She called out for Songbird, but found that she was nowhere to be found. "Songbird? Where are you?"

"Over here!" Songbird's soft voice echoed loudly in the wide cave. Dreadwing and Nightshade limped over to her, where they saw Songbird consoling a terrified orange Minicon.

"My name's Ariel," The Minicon told them after she calmed down. "I-I don't know what's going on. I woke up in a forest full of white trees that looked so strange, and then that femme with the giants came and snatched me up before I could figure out where I was."

Nightshade glared at the still smoking corpse of the woman in question. "Well, she's dead now. You don't have to worry about her anymore."

Songbird hopped up to Ariel. "Ariel, I want you to know that we're taking you onto a Decepticon warship. I'm not sure if that's okay with you, but-"

"I don't care. Any place is safer than this hell. Just get me as far away from here as possible." Ariel whimpered, holding her head in her hands. Nightshade glanced at Dreadwing, who knelt down and held his hand out to her.

"Then you're welcome to join us, Ariel." He said. Ariel looked up at him and stepped onto his palm without hesitation. He lifted her onto her shoulder and helped Nightshade to her feet. "Let's go home."

"Yes," Nightshade sighed, feeling exhausted. "Let's."

They gathered themselves and walked back through the tunnel they entered through, exiting the dark cave and into the morning sun shining brightly outside. Nightshade and Dreadwing took a moment to look over the island, which looked different in the sunlight. Even now they could see the trees fading from white to green, grotesque organs and body parts decaying and ordinary plant extensions taking their place. Nature was taking over again.

"Nightshade," Dreadwing looked over at her, taking a moment to study her gleaming form in the sunlight before clearing his throat. "Thank you. I apologize for my earlier behavior."

"Think nothing of it, Dreadwing." She waved him off, a smile on her dark lips. "A warrior must have a mind as clear as a freshwater spring, and losing someone like you would be a grave loss…in this world, and the next."

Dreadwing smiled and gazed back at the sun on the horizon. Who knew that standing in the light could be so comforting?

XXXXXX

Back inside the cave, the flesh on Natasha's giant form had almost evaporated, thought her head still decayed. The flesh on its nape began to bulge out before the skin ripped over, and a naked body covered in blood and other fluids fell to the ground. Natasha coughed and wheezed, punching the ground before shooting to her knees and giving an enraged scream that could carry for miles.

She was not afraid of death, not when she controlled its hold over her.

* * *

 **There's a surprise Halloween chapter for you all! I typed this from scratch, no rough draft written, and I'm surprised I thought all of this up on the spot. Stay tuned for another chapter focusing on Sara and her personal crisis, before we get into the prelude to the final arc of this story. Happy Halloween and thanks for reading.**


	34. I am Sara

Chapter 34-I am Sara

Sara was a third generation bioroid with high combat abilities. Her body was composed of an endosteel skeleton encased in a carbon fiber musculature and wrapped in a flexi-steel protective epidermis with an added layer of mesh that acts as skin, with external solar cells that looked like long strands of hair. She harbored at least six integrated weapons in her body, and she had the strength of three men. Her mind was a highly advanced cyber-brain with faster processing speed than an internet search engine and was powered by what could be classified as a "heart". She was smarter and more powerful than the so-called drones of the modern age. Smarter than the average human (save for possibly Gina).

But for the life of her, she couldn't figure out the anomaly that was human art. Sure, she understood more coherent paintings like portraits, landscapes, and even surrealist artwork. But the form of art known as "Abstract" puzzled her to no end.

Her predicament began when Gina and Penny dragged her to an art museum in Elladas (the wonders of ground bridges) for a school project. There, Sara had seen many pieces of art by world famous artist. But the ones Penny called Abstract were strange to her. They showed no humans, or objects or landscapes, just a collage of shapes and colors that seemed to have absolutely no correlation to them. No end, no beginning, no purpose, at least to her. Which led to the girls trying to decode what they could see in the painting, if that made any sense.

"I see a bird." Gina said.

Penny snorted and crossed her arms. "Please, there's no bird in there."

"Of course there is. Those little triangles form the wings and that blue rhombus form the beak."

"There's no bird, Gina."

"Penny, my eyes can see better than yours at all times of the day," Gina smirked. "I know what I'm talking about."

"Hmph. Well, I see an airplane."

"An airplane?"

"Yup. Fighter jet, specifically." Penny grinned.

Gina rolled her eyes. "Stop fantasizing about Kevin, Pincher. It's getting creepy."

"Shut up, gold digger! I'm don't fantasize, I have fond future dreams about him. There's a difference!"

Sara ignored the bickering females and continued staring at the painting. Odd how if she focused on a single spot for a certain period of time, the shapes and splotches seemed to slowly rise out to her.

"Sara?"

Sara blinked and looked at Gina. "Yes?"

"What do you see?" The blonde asked. "In the painting, I mean."

"…"I see colors." Sara observed. "Multiple variations of reds, blues, greens, violets, oranges, all separated or mixed with black paint."

Gina and Penny shared a glance. "Gina meant do you see any images in there, Sara."

"Images? But that wasn't the artist's intention."

"Not really, but the fun thing about abstract art is that you can sometimes create images from the shapes and colors with you mind." Gina explained. "Basically, it involves using your imagination."

"Imagination." Sara repeated.

"It's okay if you can't see anything, Sara. Being a bioroid and all, having an imagination must seem pretty strange to you." Penny said, not unkindly, but it still sounded offensive.

"Penny!"

"What? I wasn't being rude, Gina, it's just that, being artificial intelligence and all," Penny bit her lip as she realized she was digging herself a deeper hole. "It might be hard for Sara to be…flexible in regards to things like this."

"I can process the concept of imagination perfectly, Penelope Pincer." Sara replied firmly. That feeling of agitation came back to her again. "Thinking outside the box is not a foreign concept to me."

"Right, got it," Penny gulped. She did not like the look in the robot girl's eyes. "Sorry."

Sara frowned at the painting. Not just looking at the piece reminded her of her own limitations compared to a human. She may have been strong and fast and resilient, but there was one thing that humans and Cybertronians alike had in spades above her-souls.

XXXXXX

The thoughts of her own immortality plagued Sara on her way back to Gina's house. Imagination was needed, and it came from a small little something that could be seen or touched. Feelings, hobbies, fears, dislikes, emotions Sara had some idea about, but rarely experienced herself. She existed only for one purpose and that was to protect Gina. Anyone or anything that got in her way of completing that duty was her enemy and must be eliminated.

"Welcome home!" Greeted Theodore Harkins, father of Gina. He was sitting in the living room reading a few books on the Ancient Alien theory. After getting acquainted with the Autobots, Theo had been obsessed with learning more about the oddities often overlooked by other archaeologists in ancient history, namely the Arian culture that predominated Terra.

"Hi dad!" Gina jogged over to her father and gave him a big hug.

"Hello, Sara," Julia greeted the bioroid from the stairs. The Harkins matriarch was always warm to her mechanical guests, probably because they were so close to Gina and risked much in keeping her safe during her numerous afterschool "activities". "How are you?"

"I am fine." Sara answered honestly. Physically at least. Emotionally, she was another story.

Watching Gina interact with her parents sent a small pang of emotion rushing through her. Parents, siblings, family. Concepts Sara never knew. She had no biological family obviously, as she only saw her creator as the closest thing to a mother she could be. But biological familial bonds were more special to her. They were deeper and sacred than bonds between soldiers or warriors. Sara was aware that her mother was in the process of creating another bioroid like her, a little sister to give her company. Knowing that she might never know this sister of hers made her chest hurt. Was this what the feeling known as longing felt like?

Sara had no illusions as to what she was. She was a robot with a sophisticated AI, powered by an artificial heart with a brain that doubled as an onboard computer. She did not laugh, cry, dream or sleep…but sometimes, she did wonder what a dream would be like. Would she simply remember the past experiences of her life before she was sent to Terra by her mother? Or would she dream of electric sheep?

These thoughts, and many others, stared with her for the rest of the evening. She spent dinner with the Harkins family, watching them talk and laugh, even Sureshock had a great time; but she just sat there next to her, silent but observant, like a shadow. It made her feel hollow. Lonely.

Later that night, as Gina and Sureshock lay sleeping, Sara closed her eyes and wondered if electric sheep would appear if she pretended to go to sleep.

XXXXXX

Sara was not fond of the cybertronians. It was a fact that she made quite clear to her peers, but it wasn't just because of the threat they posed to Gina. Sara felt a kinship with these alien robots; they had circuits like her, power lines like her, servos, motors, joint locks, lubricants, processors, mechanical in every way. But such a kinship was false, as they were born, while she was made. Her body would soon rust and wither, but cybertronians, they were near immortal, like stars. Even the loss of their homeworld failed to truly snuff out their race.

Their bodies were born from the foundation of their planet, metal and circuits and everything born in an embryonic state, maturing and growing into adults and live for millennia before their Sparks burnt out like dying stars. Death came for all forms of life, even those who claim to be deathless.

She wondered what this meant; what constituted as life to a living mechanical life form? What made the cybertronians so different from her? Why were they so special? Was it because they were created by this so-called god? Was it because they had souls? All these questions could only be answered by the mech the Autobots saw as the central figure in their spiritual beliefs-Optimus Prime.

"You want to know what a soul is." Optimus blinked down at the little female robot standing on his desk.

"Yes." Sara said curtly. She let herself in by carving a hole through his door and flying onto his desk. She then bluntly asked the unexpected question before Prime had a chance to inquire why she was vandalizing his quarters. "I have read what the humans define as the soul in various theoretical literature, but I want to know how cybertronians view that which you call a soul."

"Sara, that is not an easy question to answer. If you want to know the nature of the soul, then you must ask yourself if it exists in the first place. Then you must ask what constitutes as having a soul inside a living being. There are so many questions that pertain to the soul's nature." Optimus said.

"Then let me ask this-how is it that your people have souls? What makes you so different from robots like me?" She asked. Optimus detected the faint pleading in her tone and sighed.

"You must understand that we cybertronians, for all our advancements in science and technology, know very little about our origins. Our Sparks are indeed similar to souls in other cultures, and they come from our planet's core, Vector Sigma. But aside from that, we do not know anything factual about them that is not strictly religious in nature. And that is another issue entirely."

"So you do not know." Sara frowned.

"Not entirely, I'm sorry." He apologized. "Why are you asking this? Is something wrong?"

Sara debated telling the truth for a minute before deciding that it wouldn't hurt to let him in on her dilemma. "I just…want to learn more about the soul. I want to know if having one makes an organism truly living, like Ms. Gina or you. I've never let it bother me before, but lately, I've been thinking if I am truly alive despite having no spirit. If it was necessary t having emotions, dreams and aspirations. If having a soul will allow me to be…human."

"Sara, you don't need to have a soul to be alive or human. Your curiosity alone is more than a common android or drone."

"Those are simulated feelings programmed into my cyberbrain. I am one of the most advanced creations from my mother, but I am still an android no matter how powerful or advanced I am. this longing within me, my emotions, my curiosity, it's all just programs downloaded into me to mimic those displayed by humans. None of this is real!"

Sara didn't know why she was saying all these things. The words just flowed from her mouth like a ruptured damn. The frustration building up within her finally boiled over with a loud hiss and she just let it go. She didn't know where all this came from, but she couldn't stop the flow of words-and she didn't want to. She needed to at least vent her grievances to someone.

Optimus, to his credit, wasn't surprised by her outburst. He waited patiently for her to finish before speaking. "I guess a supposedly emotionless android like you doesn't consider that tirade of yours an emotional breakdown either?"

Sara fired a laser bolt at his chin and flew out of the room, marching out the hole she made in his door. Rubbing his chin, Optimus sighed and shook his head.

"Prickly."

XXXXXX

Sara's mood grew worse each day, and Gina was the first to notice it. It wasn't surprising since she was the one who spent the most time with the bioroid, aside from Sureshock. The robot girl had become more standoffish than normal and it was starting to worry Gina, who had come to care for Sara as another sister.

"Do you think she's still angry about Penny's comment earlier this week at the museum?" Gina asked her Minicon partner. Sara was down in the workshop, where she resided for the last two hours.

"Maybe, I can't really tell with that girl. Aside from the tiny smile or frown she would throw around, she doesn't really display much emotion." Sureshock said.

Gina groaned and plopped down in her chair. Now that she really thought about it, Gina didn't know much about Sara aside from her combat abilities. She stopped asking Sara about her origins and simply let her be, accepting her presence as another part of the life of a girl genius whose best friends with alien robots. She next to nothing about Sara and that had to change, now. Then Sureshock released another interesting bit of information.

"I heard from Optimus that Sara had come to speak to him yesterday."

"Really? Why'd she do that?" Gina asked. Sara wasn't the most accepting of the Autobots; mainly because of the constant danger they posed just by being near Gina. She was even colder to them than Debbie was on a bad day.

"Optimus didn't say, he respected Sara's privacy. I'm guessing it was about something sensitive if that's the case."

"Good grief." Gina groaned. "Okay, forget about everything else. Let's just focus on helping Sara get out of this funk."

"Any ideas?"

Gina thought hard, rubbing her chin in contemplation. Sureshock grew nervous as that signature Cheshire grin appeared on her lips. "I think I know exactly what she needs."

Sureshock was hesitant to ask, but did so for the sake of her sanity. "Gina…what are you planning?"

"A girl's day out!"

And there goes her sanity! Sureshock made sure she had her emergency contacts on hand when Gina wasn't looking. There was no possible way this wouldn't crash and burn.

XXXXXX

As it turns out, Gina's idea of a girl's day out was to drag Sureshock and Sara onto an expedition to an ancient cave system in the Rocky Mountains. Joining them were Arcee, Moonracer, Tracer, Peppercat and Penny. The cave they were standing before was the entrance to an underground city that was completely intact as far as geographical scans showed. Penny and Tracer stumbled upon the place by accident three days ago while looking for energon with Moonracer, and when Gina got the news, she dragged everyone to the place despite Penny's protests. The old writing on the rocks near the city called this place "Civ-Alpha" and was dated to be around 4000 years old.

"And why am I here again?" Penny whispered, wiping the sweat from her forehead with an annoyed frown.

"Because this is partially your fault and you're gonna help me fix it." Gina said, adjusting the large hat on her head. "And a girl's day out involves inviting all your girl friends if they're not too busy."

"This doesn't constitute as a girl's day out, Gina." Moonracer deadpanned. "Not even close."

Arcee looked around at the studied the giant archways that bordered the entrance to the city in the massive cavern, almost as tall as Omega Supreme's legs. To think that all this had been hiding beneath a mountain with only a small tunnel leading to it. "How was something like this untouched for so long? I'm sure someone with the right equipment could detect something this big."

"If they knew where to look," Penny said. "But no one in their right mind would come to the Rockies with a metal detector."

"Come on people, we're losing daylight here!" Gina hollered and grabbed Sara's hand. "Sara, you're with me. We need to see what wonders this place is hiding! I'm so excited!"

"Hey, I found this place first, goldilocks!" Penny yelled at her. She scowled and looked at Tracer. "Let's go, Tracer, we're going after them."

"You got it, love." Tracer transformed and allowed Penny to hop on before racing into the cavern after the others. Arcee shook her head and walked forward.

"Look alive, Moon. We better follow them before they trigger some ancient booby trap or something."

Moonracer grunted and stomped into the city grumbling. "I would be watching the Four Seasons right now in Milwuak, but Gina had to be a nerd!"

XXXXXX

The architecture of Civ-Alpha was surprisingly simple. The city consisted of tall, rectangular buildings of varying sizes that were reminiscent of modern day skyscrapers. These buildings were mostly connected together by wide, sloping bridges and platforms, oddly enough, much of the buildings were molded into the mountain itself, with large doors and entryways tall enough for a cybertronian the size of Bulkhead or Ironhide. Gina had no idea how large the entire city was, but from what she saw from the murals on the walls that spread across the city, Civ-Alpha extended deep underground at least three more levels. The entrances to the levels had yet to be found, but Gina decided to take it slow today.

"What do we have here?" Gina muttered, running her hands along the pictograph on the ground. It showed two figures drawn in a style similar to that of the aboriginal tribes of the Deldaros Islands. One showed a cartoony carving of what looked like some bipedal reptilian creature, and the other showed a tall, lanky barely humanoid blob with what could only be described as a smiley face on its round head. "Sara, have you seen anything like this?"

"No, I haven't Ms. Gina." Sara said. "But judging from how we've yet to find evidence of human habitation, I'm inclined to believe that this city was built by nonhuman hands."

"Very astute observation, Sara. You're pretty good at this." Gina smiled and took a couple of pictures of the pictograph. "Maybe you should take a career in archaeology. It's a lot less hazardous to your health than protecting me."

"But I like protecting you, Ms. Gina." Sara said in a way that caught Gina's attention. Her clear green eyes were narrowed, lips turned down in a frown, looking slightly irritated at Gina brushing off her duties. "I do not do this because it's some obligation or job thrust upon me; I do this because I have grown to care about you. You, Sureshock, Darren, Annie, everyone who has shown me kindness I vowed to protect with all my power, no matter the danger."

Her face fell a bit. "But even my strength was not enough to keep you from…"

"Oh, Sara…" Gina stood up and held Sara's hands. She knew her near death experience had affected Sara almost as much as it did her friends, but the android hadn't shown much emotion during the incident. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

"It was not your fault. You were on the verge of death, and Darren's gamble had thankfully spared your life." Sara took a deep breath. "But…seeing you like that still remain in my brain. I cannot remove seeing you dying from my memory banks, no matter many times I delete it."

"That's trauma, Sara. Something like that won't go away over night. It's like Annie seeing her mother die, or…me killing Circuit Breaker." Gina swallowed hard. Killing Beller hadn't registered to her after the fight in Springfield, until she began having nightmares about Beller's corpse. Even now, nearly a month later, she couldn't help but think back to it. "When dealing with trauma, the only thing you can do is try to heal from it the best you can."

Sara said nothing, but she held onto Gina's hands tighter. "Gina…what is it like? Dying?"

"I…don't have a solid answer to that." Gina softly. "I was still in a coma from all aesthetic, and then I felt pain for a few seconds. Then…nothing. It felt like falling asleep, then waking up from a dream."

She couldn't describe something like that with words. It was very much like a dream, waking up in a sea of stars, floating weightlessly without a body, an anchor. It felt like she was drifting through limbo for an eternity, but she had flatlined for only an hour.

"Death, the fate of all biological creatures. Did it hurt, Ms. Gina?"

"Not for me at least, but there are many people who die painfully. Some go quickly in a heartbeat. And for some it's slow." Gina shrugged. "I can only say that dying is like falling asleep. Only you don't wake up from the dream."

Sara thought on her words. Death was a process that all organic life creatures experienced at the end of their lives. Humans feared it at varying degrees, yet cybertronians thought themselves above such concepts. She was curious about it; what did it feel like to die? Was there an afterlife? Why did people fear death if it was a natural part of life? If she was offlined or destroyed, could that be considered dying? Could an android like her experience the final frontier for all things in the universe? If she did, then would she be considered truly alive?

XXXXXX

Elsewhere in the city, Penny, Tracer and Moonracer were exploring the empty streets of the Arian settlement. The odd architecture and lack of prevalent monuments had perplexed Penny and she began to doubt if this city was even Arian at all. She would have had an easier time figuring out the secrets of this place if Moonracer wasn't complaining every two seconds.

"For god's sake, could you stop whining? You sound like a bratty teenage girl." Penny growled.

"But this is soooo boring! I was about to head over to a concert in Milwouk that I've been waiting forever to see and you and Gina made me miss it!" Moonracer whined.

Penny glared up at the femme and crossed her arms in her infamous "try me" pose. "What were you going to see?"

"Four Seasons."

"Moonracer!"

"What?" Moonracer asked innocently when Penny marched away from her.

"You have no right to complain when you're missing a bloody boy band concert!"

"But they're like, the most famous group in pop history!" Moonracer said. After a quick thought, she added, "Modern pop history."

"Moon, the Frontstreet Girls were hot like that too and look how they went out. The lead singer hopped up on pills, co-singers slumming it out in Hollywood and the fourth girl somewhere in Canadia doing heaven knows what." Penny shook her head and went into one of the buildings. "Do yourself a favor and stop listening to that garbage."

"It's no more garbage than that trash you listen to!" Moonracer stomped her foot in outrage. "Nothing like watching Hanna Cyrus cut her hair short and French kiss other female artists on stage!"

"Don't talk smack about my girl, Hannah! She's been through a lot and-" Penny froze mid-sentence and shivered.

"Penny?" Tracer inquired.

"A chill just ran up my spine and my hair's starting to get frizzled. We're being watched." She said, confusing the two femmes.

"How do you know that?" Moonracer asked.

"I always get that chill when I feel someone watching me. It's a sixth sense I developed from years of avoiding Gina during our wedgie wars back in primary." Penny gave her companions a hard stare. "I know what I'm talking about."

Moonracer scoffed. "Penny, we're standing in the middle of a dusty old ancient city that's been empty for literally millions of years. We're the only ones here and I would've detected any Cons by now. We're safe."

She expected Penny to snap back with a snarky retort, but instead she got fearful looks from Penny and Tracer as they looked up at her. "M-Moon…"

"Huh? What's wrong you two? Why are you shaking?"

Penny raised a shaking finger up at her. "B-behind you!"

"Very funny, Penny, but that's not-" Moonracer's voice cut off in a squeak when she turned around to see a round, bulbous head staring right at her. Her scream echoed throughout the cave.

XXXXXX

Around the same time, Gina, Sureshock and Sara were standing around an obelisk with Arcee trying to decipher the glyphs running along the four sides. It was pure white and the writing was more in line with more pictographs that any Arian writing Gina dabbled in before. This whole city was just full of enigmas and Gina was starting to get a little bit frustrated.

"I don't know about you, but I can't make heads or tails with this." Arcee said.

"I'm ashamed to admit this, but you may be right." Gina said. "This is no Arian writing, and this city is no Arian settlement. Hell, I don't even think this was made by the Arians."

Sureshock took note of the statue near them. "You may be onto something."

Gina ran her hand along the walls, tracing her fingers along the carvings. She peeked inside a building and gasped when she saw an orb sitting on a pedestal. She entered the chamber, which curiously looked like the inside to a large machine and approached the orb. Gina curiously poked it a few times before reaching out to pick it up.

"Ms. Gina, get away from there!" Sara yelled.

"Huh?" Gina blinked. She felt something poke her hands and turned around to see that the orb she was about to grab had sprouted two white circles for eyes. "Jinkies!"

Sureshock rushed into to grab Gina and pulled her back from the chamber as the shadows shifted around the orb. Arcee ran over to the girls and gaped at the creature that seemed to literally step out of the shadows, becoming three dimensional. A tall being stepped onto the ground and stood before the girls.

"By the Allspark!" Arcee breathed.

The creature was vaguely humanoid; a tall, 13 meter caricature of the human body with long, thin limbs that ended in spindly fingers. Its body was dark blue, almost black, and its head was just a round sphere with white dots for eyes. It moved like water, always in constant motion even when standing still.

"Get behind me!" Arcee said, taking out her blaster. Then she heard a loud scream from outside. "Moon?!"

The shadow rushed at Arcee and she fired her blaster. The plasma bolts hit their target, but they only sank into its body as if swallowed. Arcee cursed and jumped back from its long hands, firing at its legs and head, but unable to do any damage. Sara leapt up and slashed at its legs, but her vibro-blade passed through its legs as well. The shadow glanced down at her before looking at Gina and Sureshock.

"Stay away from her!" Sara yelled as the shadow stalked towards her friends.

The shadow ignored the laser blasts hitting its back and reached out a hand towards Gina. Arcee didn't know what it expected to happen, but it certainly wasn't a little girl firing a chain of energy balls from her eyes. It gave a withered shriek as the distortion halos sprouted on its body and shrank away from her, sporting glowing blue burns along its limbs.

"Don't touch me you living chalk…thing!" Gina said.

"We need to leave!" Sureshock exclaimed and transformed. Gina hopped on and she sped away, with Arcee following in vehicle mode with Sara in her front seat. The shadow stumbled after them, but the pain it felt slowed it down.

"Moon? Moon, what happened?" Arcee called out.

Gina looked around at their surroundings and gulped when she noticed that the once empty place now felt more alive than ever. Not to mention the shadows seemed more prominent than they should be. "Guys, I don't think we're alone!"

Arcee saw the shadows shift around and skidded to a stop, transforming and drawing her energo-swords as more of those…Phantoms appeared from nearly every single corner of the city. They all lumbered about like living shadows, their proportions shifting as they moved, like giants made of liquid. And they were all fixated on the four girls, specifically Arcee and Sureshock. They reached out with lanky hands and Arcee jumped back, slashing at their grasping fingers before reverting to her alt mode.

"Get in!" Gina, Sureshock and Sara hopped into her and she kicked it into high gear. She drove out of the street as fast as she could, with inky black arms stretching after her to grab something. Sara looked back at the phantoms and noted how they met her gaze even as they were trying to grab at them.

"What ar those things?" Sureshock asked.

"I'm guessing the original owners of this city didn't take too kindly to intruders." Gina said. She glanced back and breathed a sigh as she saw that they were being chased. "I think we lost them."

"No, they're just cutting us off!" Arcee exclaimed.

Four phantoms materialized right in front of them and Arcee braked hard. She ejected the girls from her seats before transforming. She slashed at their legs, but spun off balance when one of the phantoms snatched up one of her swords. The blade was absorbed into the phantom's body and, to the girl's horror, its hands morphed into long thin blades that looked just like Arcee's sword.

"That creature must take on the characteristics of what it absorbs." Gina observed. "Jinkies, that's pretty cool!"

"That's not cool, Gina, that's bad. Really bad!" Arcee yelled. The bladed phantom reached for her, nearly impaling the Autobot on its sharp hands. She fired her blaster at her, trying to at least scare it off.

"Ah!" Sureshock was dragged back by Sara, who hacked away at another phantom trying to grab her. It made to try again, but straightened up and gave a groan and starting emitting a series of strange sounds that might've been words.

"Is it speaking?" Gina wondered aloud. "What is it saying?"

The shadow looked at her and its garbled words were uttered faster, as if urgent. The other phantoms stood up as they heard heavy footsteps shaking the ground. Then something large and metal burst through a building and slammed into a phantom, a large three-clawed mechanical hand grabbing the phantom by its beck.

"Is that…a robot?" Arcee said. She had no idea what she was seeing, but she was more concerned with finding her sister and the others.

It was indeed a giant robot, one just a foot taller than the phantoms. Its armor was old, dusty, and slightly worn, and its configuration was less humanoid, more reptilian in the legs, with an upper body more akin to that of a T-Rex in design, in fact. The other phantoms immediately attacked the machine as its left arm began to glow, emitting a powerful gravitational force from three rings on its arm before firing a strong blast into the restrained phantom's chest. Sara flinched as it gave a pained cry, its body dissolving like paper exposed to a flame.

'What is this feeling?' Sara wondered. 'Am I…feeling empathy for the creature?'

"Arcee! Gina!" Moonracer came running down the path with Penny and Tracer in her arms. "Oh thank Primus I found you guys!"

"Moonracer, what happened to Tracer?" Sureshock asked, looking at the unconscious femme in Moonracer's arms.

"I don't know." Penny said, deeply worried. "We were ambushed by those shadow things and one of them managed to swallow Tracer up. Moonracer pulled her free, but she hasn't woken up since."

"And the giant lizard-bot?" Gina asked.

"Something we found sleeping in one of the chambers in the larger buildings. We activated its power core or something with some hephaestium, and it just started tearing those things apart."

Sara kept her gaze on the battle going on near them. With each blow thrown, she grew more uneasy. The giant robot blasted away another phantom, killing it while the others tried to hack away at it. Sara knew something was wrong, it wasn't some logical decision based on pre-programmed statistics, but a feeling deep in her gut. The question was what was wrong with this picture?

"Arcee, hit that panel!" Penny pointed to the metal plate on the ground near them. Arcee punched it and a hatch opened up next to her. "Jump in, quick!"

Arcee and Moonracer picked up their friends and jumped into the hole. Sara looked back just in time to see the sword hand phantom staring back at her. She frowned and jumped into the hole after her friends.

XXXXXX

The ladies found themselves inside a massive chamber that looked just as high tech as the rest of the city's infrastructure. It was large enough to accommodate the two Autobots and in the center was an old, misused machine connected to an assortment of power lines hooked up to what looked like a generator.

"Where are we?" Gina asked.

"Some kind generator room. I found it earlier after falling through one of those tunnels." Penny said. "They're all over the place and they all connect to this chamber. We should be safe in here until the fighting stops."

"At least those…phantoms won't be a problem anymore." Sureshock sighed. "Now let's just hope that robot knows we're on its side."

"I disagree," Sara said, much to the surprise of her peers. "The phantoms…I believe they are not the enemy."

"Are you crazy? Those things tried to suck us up like a black hole!" Moonracer yelled. "Who knows how many people those killers had swallowed up before we came here? That robot is doing us a favor!"

"Who have those creatures killed?" Sara shot back with equal intensity. "Do you have evidence that they've killed before? DNA, bones, tissue, clothing, do you have anything to support your claims?"

"Calm down, Sara." Arcee said. "It's true the phantoms haven't killed anyone…yet. But you forgot that they chased us all over the city."

Even still, Sara was still steadfast in her decision. "I have studied them, and something tells me that they are not just mindless killers. They are highly intelligent. I can see it in their eyes."

"Sara, please think about this," Penny sighed. She was too tired and annoyed to deal with this drama right now. "The pictographs all over the place depict those creatures laying waste to everything on the planet. These things may have wiped out the Arians!"

"Come on, Sara, you always think logically in these situations like this." Arcee told her, trying to calm her down. It only earned her a truly cold glare from Sara.

"I am well aware of my nature, Arcee. I am all too aware of my limited emotional capacity. I am not a real human girl, only a machine made to look like one. I do not have a soul like you cybertronians. I'm just an android, a machine. My kind was built to serve, not think or feel or have identities. Compared to you all, I'm little more than a glorified high tech doll." Sara glared at them. "But this feeling in my…gut, it is not something I can ignore. We're making a mistake and I cannot allow innocent lives to pay the price of our folly."

Gina stared at her in shock. This was definitely not like Sara at all. "Sara…"

Sara's face softened at the blonde. "I am sorry, Ms. Gina. But I have to do this. If I am wrong, then may death be my punishment."

She fired up her boosters and jumped back through the tunnel to where the battle was taking place, ignoring Gina's cries.

"Sara, come back!" Gina yelled, but the bioroid was already gone. "She's going to get herself killed!"

"What was with her? Sara isn't usually that adamant about anything aside from protecting Gina." Sureshock noted.

"Who knows? But we need to get her back before those phantoms kill her." Arcee told them.

"No…"

Everyone turned to Tracer, who was finally starting to wake up. Penny ran over to her friend and hugged her. "Tracer! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little out of it." Tracer gave her weak grin. "Take more than that to kill me love."

"Tracer, what were you saying no about?" Gina inquired.

"The phantoms, we were wrong about them. They're not killers." She said.

"Oh not this again." Moonracer groaned, but Arcee shushed her.

"What that phantom absorbed her, I heard this voice in my head telling me two things: the generator is the bridge between two realities, the more power it releases, the wider the gap." Tracer explained. "And second, the machine that was hidden here was built by their former allies, the Saurians, to kill them. This generator was supposed to act as a gateway to the phantom's world and send the robots in as genocide drones."

Gina's eyes went wide. "And the reason they've been chasing us…"

"Was because they were trying to chase us out of the city. To avoid waking up the robot or turning on the generator to their world."

Everyone gave each other troubled glances as they realized that Sara was completely right. Gina threw her hat to the ground and pulled off her glasses before reopening the tunnel.

"I'm going back for Sara. She doesn't stand a chance against that thing!" She shouted.

"Gina, hold up…" Arcee's warning didn't deter Gina the slightest as the inhuman girl pushed off the ground and leapt into the tunnel faster than either Autobot to grab her.

"That girl certainly knows how to pick her field trips." Penny grumbled. "Please be safe, Gina."

XXXXXX

Sara sprinted through the streets, pushing her leg hydraulics to their limit as she searched for the nonhuman combatants. It was quiet, with no sounds of battle audible anymore, though the damages caused by the battle were very evident with craters and debris thrown around. Was she too late?

'No, I can't be too late to save them. Perhaps they retreated to one of the lower levels' Sara thought.

The building next to her suddenly collapsed and the battlesuit marched towards her out of the rubble. It was covered in scratches and was missing some pieces of its armor, but it was still in one piece and operational.

"HELLO FRIEND!" The robot said, inwardly surprising Sara, since she wasn't expecting it to have any intelligence let along speak. "I AM DEFODAC SUIT UNIT 2338. THANK YOU FOR REALEASING ME, FRIEND. NOW COULD YOU KINDLY ASSIST ME IN LOCATING THE BETA GENERATOR? I WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL."

"For what purpose do you seek this generator?" Sara asked. She was already revving her motors in preparation for the difficult battle ahead.

"TO OPEN A BRIDGE TO THE DIMENSION OF THOSE ACCURSED SHADOWS AND ANNIAHILATE THE CREATURES ONCE AND FOR ALL."

"I can't let you do that." She flicked her wrists and summoned her magnetic hammer and vibro-blade. "What you are doing is slaughter."

"IT'S NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO US. WE WERE ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKTHROUGH, BUT THOSE AMONIAN SLAVES DERAILED ALL OF OUR HARD WORK!" The Befodac bellowed. "I AM SIMPLY CARRYING OUT MY OBJECTIVE. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT, LITTLE ANDROID."

Sara was done talking now. She leapt forward and fired a volley of energy blasts from her blasters. Energy bolts bounced off Befodac's body and it didn't seem the least bit concerned at her attacks. She grabbed hold of its armor and started hacking her way through the metal. Her weapons managed to pierce its armor, but she wasn't able to do much damage. Befodac ignited his boosters and glided through the street, smashing into a building and crashing through three walls. They emerged into a large courtyard and Sara was thrown off its back. She landed on her feet and ran away from the pulse blasts its fired at her.

"IF YOU WILL NOT HELP ME, THEN YOU ARE MY ENEMY!" Befodac declared, trying its best to tear her apart.

She ran circles around the robot, shooting her palm blasters at its legs. Befodac grunted in annoyance and swung its tail, almost crushing Sara and smashing a support column. Sara jumped around, trying to get a solid angle on it, but was kept at bay by the giant tail trying to smash her into scrap.

Its right arm unfolded and a volley of high velocity rounds fired at her. She quickly leapt onto a balcony and took cover behind a pillar and waited there as the drone continued to fire at her. The bullets left deep holes in the stone and metal, nearly ripping through the pillar until Befodac stopped firing.

'This machine is more powerful than I originally thought.' Sara scowled. She checked her power levels and saw that she was still running on full, but her laser cannons weren't powerful enough to do serious damage to its armor. 'I need to get in close to hurt it. Otherwise it'll level this entire place to kill me.'

Befodac stomped in her direction and fired another pulse blast that took out a large section of the second floor. Sara sprinted to another pillar and waited for it to run out of bullets again. She counted the seconds until its next volley as she ran out of cover and jumped off the balcony, landing on the ground and deploying her blades again. It threw its tail at her, and she jumped over it, but she was left open to its artillery cannon. Sara summoned her photon shield but she was just a few seconds late in her reaction.

Bullets tore into her right leg, practically tearing it apart. She back flipped away from the assault and jumped onto a pillar, pushing off it and landing on its back again. She fired her blaster into the back of its neck, channeling all her power into each pulse. Befodac thrashed its body to shake her off, but she held on tight, not even pausing in her attack. Chunks of armor were blown off each shot and just a few more shots would expose its internal circuitry.

'Just a little more!' Sara grunted. 'Come on!'

She was so focused on tearing into its body that she didn't notice Befodac's tail rising behind her until is snagged her by the waist and threw her to the ground. Sara bounced off the hard stone and landed on her front, her mind scrambled from the impact. Befodac fired its gravity generator, blasting her body with bone crushing gravitational force that pressed her into the ground. Error warnings flashed across her flickering vision, with the intense gravity wreaking havoc on her already damaged limbs and weapons. She also couldn't move.

Befodac stalked towards her broken body and raised a massive foot, stomping onto Sara's body and slowly began increasing pressure on her, slowly crushing Sara with its massive weight. Sara could feel her endoskeleton creaking from the strain, and her body sank into the ground. She was still online, but couldn't move and couldn't make a sound. For the first time in her life, Sara wondered if she was going to die. She wasn't afraid of that thought, but she found herself wanting to live instead…for Gina.

"SARA!"

A powerful azure energy wave crashed into Befodac, knocking it back and off Sara. Gina charged at it, eyes blazing like two newborn stars with an expression of pure rage she hadn't displayed since her battle against Circuit Breaker. When Befodac swung her body at her, she caught the appendage in her arms and heaved, ripping it out of its socket and tossing it away.

"HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT?!" Befodac questioned in shock and awe, but Gina engulfed its body in a field of distortion halos that ripped into its body. Even its powerful composite armor couldn't withstand the might of multiple halos tearing into its frame.

"Stay away from my friends!" Gina roared. She waved her hand and Befodac's lets were destroyed at the joints. As it crashed to the ground, she leapt on its shoulders and grabbed its large head. When she began to pull, Befodac began to panic.

"LET GO THIS INSTANT! I AM A SAURIAN, A BENEFACTOR OF THIS WORLD!"

Gina wasn't listening anymore. She used her enhanced strength to pull its boxy head loose of its titanium casing and steel bonds, her muscles straining and bulging from the effort. With a final shout, Gina tore its head from its shoulders and threw it so hard against the wall that it shattered to pieces. Befodac's body shuddered before slumping to the ground. She paid it no mind as she jumped off the headless body and ran over to Sara.

"Sara!" Gina knelt beside her. Sara was facing upwards, but she was completely still, eyes wide but unseeing. "Sara, please say something. Don't die on me!"

Sara could hear Gina's voice, though it was growing fainter as her audio systems slowly died out. One by one, her systems shutdown and the last thing she saw was Gina's teary face before she went offline.

XXXXXX

 _Sara stood in her mother's lab watching her work on a stasis pod. Her white cloak and hood were wrinkled and slightly dirty from working so hard in the workshop, having lost some of the luster it once had these past few weeks fighting their enemies. Sara watched her mother's strong, calloused hands as they twisted the bolts into place. She looked outside at the wilderness that surrounded their makeshift base, knowing that many ancient creatures were roaming the jungle. It made her a bit antsy._

" _Mother," She inquired. "What are you doing?"_

" _I'm preparing to send you on the most important mission of your life, Sara." Mother said, grunting as she finished up on the last touches of her creation._

" _A mission?" She tilted her head. "What mission?"_

 _Mother looked a Sara, her old, worn, slightly cracked glasses looking small on her mature face. She sighed and stood up, walking over to the young bioroid and placing her hands on her shoulders. "Sara, I'm about to send you to a place far from here, from me. I don't know when we'll meet again, if ever, but this mission is very crucial for the survival of everyone we care about." She said. "I'm going to put you to sleep, and when you wake up, I won't be there for you. Instead, you'll meet three children, one of them a blonde girl whom you must protect with your life. From then on, she will be your mother."_

 _Sara was confused, but she didn't voice it. But it still shown on her face, and her mother gave her a loving smile._

" _I'm sorry for springing this on you, Sara, but everything that's happened, all the battles and us being here. I understand now, and what must be done. I'm just sorry that we have to part ways like this."_

" _Do not worry, mother. I am not afraid." Sara said. But that tense feeling in her chest meant something. She clearly wasn't afraid, but… "However, I am feeling…apprehensive at not seeing you again."_

" _Oh, Sara…" Her mother hugged her tightly and Sara returned the hug after a second's hesitation. She hugged the woman as tightly as she could, never wanting to let go._

" _Stay strong, little one. I promise that you will have a new family to take care of you in the old world. Remember…mother will always love you."_

XXXXXX

Sara's optical filters switched back online and she instinctively winced at the bright light shining down no her. She filtered the light to see properly and realized she was lying on a tiny bed in what she recognized was Ratchet's medical bay. She couldn't move anything aside from her head and left arm; her legs had been cut from her neural pathways, and she was missing her right arm. She was alive, but how?

"I am…alive?" She whispered to herself.

"Yes, Sara, you're alive."

Sara looked to her left and saw Gina sitting next to her dressed in different clothes. It appeared she had been offline for more than one day.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Gina smiled. "You were completely out for almost two days, and wouldn't wake up despite Wheeljack repairing you. We didn't know how else to properly fix you without causing damage to your cyberbrain."

"Ms. Gina," Sara said. "Are you and the others…"

"We're fine, but shaken, and it was all thanks to you. You were right about that battlesuit, it was a killing machine designed to kill those phantoms. In fact, one of them was the reason I had found you so fast." Gina explained.

Gina went into detail on how the city, Civ-Alpha, was built by a race of intelligent reptiles called Saurians, who were evolved from the dinosaurs of the prehistoric age. The shadows were beings that lived in a parallel "beta" dimension that overlapped theirs and aided the Saurians in reaching the pinnacle of scientific and technological development. According to the shadows that escorted them back to the surface (through a rather unsettling method of transportation via dimension hopping), the Saurians had gotten out of control of their dimension technology study and initiated a war that ended in the destruction of most of the Saurian life on Terra, which coincided with the rebellion of their Amonian slaves.

"So these Saurians are the Arians that you've been researching?"

"Possibly, though the monuments and cities around the world are younger than when the Saurians were in power. There are similarities, but I doubt the Saurians were able to harness hephaestium and survive the annihilation of their race in the revolution." Gina frowned. "Sorry, I shouldn't be talking about work while you're stuck here."

To Gina's surprise, Sara smiled and shook her head. "No, I enjoy seeing you talk about what you love. I love the way it makes your eyes shine and your expression light up. It's the same when my mother would tell me about her…real family."

"Your mother…the woman who created you?"

"Yes. I had a dream about her, a real dream…about the last time we were together." Sara closed her eyes with a sigh. "I thought I had died. I thought…I was in the afterlife, but I just merely seeing her face again." She looked up at Gina. "You remind me of her. She had that same spark in her eyes when she was passionate about her work, and she always told me to never change who I was at the cost of my identity."

"Do you miss her?"

"All the time," She answered honestly. "But she said that I would find a family in this world, and she was right."

Gina refrained from inquiring about Sara's "mother" and simply smiled.

"I do not know if what I experienced was a near death phenomenon, if I can even constitute as something close to death. It was very different from how you described it, but it cemented how easily you and I could pass." Sara said. "It's proved how precious life is to humans, to cybertronians…and to me. I've made many friends in this age, and if I died, then I would lose all that. I don't want to lose you or Darren or Annie or anyone else. I want to stay by your side forever as your guardian and friend."

She gave the girl a wry smile. "One pro of being a bioroid-we can't die naturally."

Gina wiped the tears from her eyes at Sara's heartfelt words. "I'll be sure to keep you close, Sara. I promise you that."

"Thank you." An uncertain look crossed Sara's features. "And I have a..request for you."

"What is it?"

"At the center of my chest, just under the base of my throat, is my most important component. The source of the artificial psyche that makes me who I am, my emotional engine…the Artificer heart." Sara said. "It is extremely delicate, so I am forbidden to expose it outside of a sterile environment. I…want you to touch it."

Gina gaped at Sara's request, and the robot girl smiled at her reaction. "If exposed to your skin oils and cells, your genetic information will most likely be burnt into it. Even so…I want you to do this." Sara's expression became firm. "I want to leave undeniable proof in this body of the understanding that that you and I have reached. Not as a memory that can be erased, but as something permanent…something irrevocable."

The gaze Sara gave Gina was intense, her lovely green eyes shown with a resolution that the girl genius had never seen before in the bioroid. Knowing that Sara wanted, no, needed this, Gina nodded silently and held her limp hand.

"Thank you, Ms…no," Sara forced her hand to hold Gina's. "Thank you, Gina."

"You're welcome Sara."

This moment they shared would be remembered by the two girls, unbroken by time and dead. A bond that will forever be cherished as one between equals, regardless of race. This thought made Sara fuzzy and warm inside, and she realized that she finally found her electric sheep.

* * *

 **Another wonderful chapter that I've had a lot of fun writing. Sara finds her heart and we learn more about the supposedly nonhuman Arians that once ruled Terra. Now, I'm going to be taking a little break to focus on some of my other stories, but know that next chapter will be the start of the final stretch for this story-The Headmaster Saga. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	35. Headmasters part 1

Chapter 35-Headmasters part 1

The mystical isle of Tir Na Og was a sacred realm believed to be the home of otherworldly creatures from European folklore and legend, mainly those hailing from the land of the ancient Celts. The fae folk they were called, and they once made the forests of Britannia their home. Even in modern times, the residents of Tir Na Og still captivated people, and even harbored worship from lesser known cults, but the majority of mankind didn't believe it to be anything more. Arthurian legends made many references to this place, but scholars simply believed these tales to be just that…legends. No physical proof of its existence could be found, and no one made any serious attempts at finding this "mystical" realm.

Aries was one of these people. He was a busy man, being OZ's field commander in the western hemisphere and it was a job that required all his attention. Things were at a crucial moment in time with the Chimera project making strides in development, so the last thing he wanted was to be trudging through a dark, damp forest in the middle of a downpour for no damn reason. But alas, Thornment was unusually insistent on him coming along, and Pieces had brow beated him into following her orders.

"Go on, Aries. Contrary to what you may think, your absence is going to have little impact on the project as a whole." Pieces said mockingly.

"That bastard has balls saying that after that colossal failure of his Inhuman operation." Aries grumbled. He looked up at Thornment, who was a few feet ahead of him and counting with her long strides. "Are you going to explain why the hell you dragged me out here, or am I going to have to play charades to get you to speak?"

Thornment stopped and gave Aries a teasing glance. "You'll know when you see it, general. I thought someone well versed in the way of war would know the value of patience."

"Only when it suits the mission and OZ as a whole. This field trip you're taking me on is grating on my nerves." He growled. "I'm busy enough as it is without dealing with your little games."

"Busy? We both know Pieces and Arkeville are the minds behind Chimera. You're just someone meant to stand there and look pretty." Thornment leaned her body to the side to avoid the combustion beam Aries fired at her from his third eye. The blast destroyed a tree in one shot. "Now, now, all that stress is not good for your health."

"Tell me why we're here!" Aries shouted.

Thornment sighed and shook her head as if she were dealing with an unruly child. She motioned Aries to walk with her as they talked. "Tell me, Aries, do you know of a race of creatures known as the dolems?"

"Can't say that I have."

Thornment caught something in his tone as he answered, but filed that away for a later date. "They're a powerful group of stone-like beings, sort of like an antithesis to cybertronians in a way. They've spread throughout the galaxy, hiding on primitive worlds and entrenching themselves into local folklore and religion. Terra is no different, the dolems have already come into contact with the Autobots and Decepticons in the past year." She explained. "I'm sure you've seen the strange phenomena that's been occurring all over the world since-"

"The Winter Solstice. Yes, I've noticed." Aries said.

"My companions and I have been following the dolems, studying their movements, their behavioral patterns and the impact they've had on the worlds they take over. On Terra, the dolem forces I've encountered have largely dormant since the loss of their ruling queen. But signs of their involvement in human society throughout history are still there." She counted on her fingers as she listed off names. "Excalibur, Gungir, Mjolnir, the Brahmastra, all weapons of incredible value and power, wielded by warriors who have shaped history according to their whims, each armed with powerful weapons to cement their status and authority. And it just so happens that I have found just the place where one such weapon rests."

"And I assume you're looking to harbor one of these weapons for yourself, and you require my help to get it?"

"No, Aries, this is for you."

Thornment led Aries through a grove and into a glade where there was a large lake secluded from the outside world and untouched by man. In this lake was a castle sitting on the edge of the lake side, hidden by the thick mist that blocked sunlight from penetrating it. Thornment switched to her alt mode and allowed Aries to board her before flying across the water.

The castle was similar to the fortresses of medieval castles that dotted Europa, but it was older and not as large in scale. It was clear that this place had no strategic military value, and was more decorative than supplementary. The castle was half destroyed, and the stone blocks that composed it was old, eroded from moisture and misshapen. Eying the tall statues that depicted a young man holding a broadsword in his grasp, Aries wondered what this place was, and what kind of weapon Thornment hinted at would be buried here. Thornment transformed and tapped her knuckle against one of the statues.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"The resting place of one of Britannia's most well known warriors. This castle is a tomb, home to the body of the man who killed King Arthur." She answered.

Aries looked up at her in shock. "Mordred."

"Buried here just a day before Arthur, along with his sword, Clarent." Thornment glanced down at Aries. "How would you like to wield Clarent once again?"

A fire appeared in Aries' eyes and he gave her a truly savage grin, a terrifying sight for man and beast that found themselves at the end of his blade. "I would like that very much."

XXXXXX

"This is troubling." Optimus Prime muttered.

He, Prowl, Jazz and Ironhide were studying an atlas of Terra in the command center with various red dots spread all over each country, most of them collected in the western hemisphere. These were the many energon deposits located on the planet, and only a small margin of it had been mined and secured by various factions; red for Autobot, purple for Decepticon and orange for OZ. And the number of orange dots was growing.

"We've ran into OZ retrieval times on five different occasions, two of them were accompanied by the rogue Thornment." Prowl said. "I've had Undertone and some sky spies investigate some of these locations and they've learned that OZ is mining energon on a massive scale. They're mostly operating outside the country to avoid confrontation with us, working mainly in western Europa and in Azteca."

"You think they know we're on to them?" Ironhide asked.

"Knowing OZ, they'll try to brag about it." Jazz said.

"What I'm afraid of is their purpose for mining so much energon." Optimus said. "It can't just be for their upgraded talos."

"Maybe they're planning some big operation." Ironhide suggested. "Or building some big, fancy weapon. Primus knows those bastards like to go big right on the fly."

"Neither of those sound appealing." Jazz grumbled. "Anyone think we should risk sending in the Minicons for recon?"

"Undertone and Peppercat might be up for the job, but OZ has Thornment as their watchdog. She knows when someone is snooping around where they aren't supposed to be." Prowl told him.

"Whatever the case, we must be on guard." Optimus said to his trusted inner circle. "Prowl, Jazz, tell all teams to be on their guard and mobilize in teams of two or more. I fear that OZ is gearing up for another massive strike, and we'll be caught in the middle again."

XXXXXX

"This is how it goes down. On the open road, maybe just within some city limits somewhere, the target is isolated, immobilized and apprehended." Aries said to his tactical unit, two seven-man squad composed of men and women Aries trained personally for anti-cybertronian combat. "Of course, out there in the field, it might be very different. Which is why we have to be prepared for any eventuality, any given set of circumstances."

He stood in front of his unit, seasoned soldiers who hung on his every word. These were some of the warriors Aries trained personally. He rarely utilized them outside of the really nasty operations that involved lots of guns and explosions, but he couldn't afford to pull any punches today. This had to be quickly and hopefully quietly without any casualties on his side.

"Sir, if the target assumes bipedal form, shoulder we call in the talos units to fight it?" Asked Drake, one of his lieutenants.

"There will be no mechanized support for this mission. Our goal is to surprise and subdue the target before it has a chance to assume robot mode and torch us. If we're in a densely populated area, I doubt they'll take the risk and transform in full view of the public. But if it does come down to that," Aries' face darkened. "You leave him to me."

He dismissed them and walked over to the comm center where he had agents monitoring the data sent to them via satellite uplink. The cloaking capabilities of the cybertronians were light years above anything OZ has, but if they wanted to tag and bag a bot, they'd have to know where to find one, and soon.

"Creel, anything?" Aries asked.

"Nah, general Aries. Quiet as the proverbial grace." Agent Creel sighed. Aries patted his shoulder encouragingly.

"Well, stay tuned in. When this happen it'll happen fast." He said. "Dante, mobiles two and three?"

"Standing by."

"Good, we'll get one shot. That's it." Aries stared at the monitors, which showed videos from cameras mounted all over November City. "We don't have a lot of time to dally."

"Thing is, sir, we've not seen so much as an extraterrestrial hubcap for days now." Creed said.

"Trust me. In a situation like this, something's bound to come up." Aries muttered. "Activate the beacon and dispense the energon."

"Yes sir."

Aries crossed his arms and waited for the prey to take the bait. 'Come on out, aliens. I'll show you just how strong we humans can be compared to your battered warriors.'

XXXXXX

Darren didn't like Sunstreaker, he really didn't. This was the first time he could openly say that he disliked an Autobot, and he wasn't alone in that regard. Many of the other bots on the team, Rodimus included, kept some distance from Sunstreaker. The golden-yellow Autobot had a cruel sense of humor-berating Wheeljack, routinely calling Ratchet a fossil, making passing insults about Moonracer's intelligence, and constantly harping about working alongside the Minicons and humans. His hot shot attitude got on everyone's nerves (even Optimus to a small degree), but Darren hated most of all.

Which was exactly why he regretted riding shotgun with Sunstreaker, who was driving through the busy streets of November City in Montanna. They, along with Ironhide and his partners Kevin and Penny, were searching the metropolis for a large energon source that suddenly popped up. Kevin and Penny had already joined up with Ironhide before Darren even knew that Sunstreaker was going along when he signed up.

"This is insulting, I lose a bet and Prowl assigns me to play escort to a fleshy hat sheds his epidermis every millisecond." Sunstreaker complained. Darren sighed and glared at the steering wheel.

"Sunny, could you not? Just…don't. Not today. Can we get through this without bitching?"

"Don't test me human. I'm not in the mood." Sunstreaker warned.

"Or you'll do what?" Darren snapped. He took a deep breath and reigned his anger in. "Look, I don't want to fight, let's find the energon and call it a day, okay?"

Sunstreaker paused before turning his steering wheel in place of a nod. "…Fine. As long as you don't start any slag."

They drove down the street for a while before coming upon a large group of people standing in the middle of the road. "Oh what now?" Sunstreaker groaned.

Darren looked out the window and saw that the crowd was chanting, waving around signs that said things like "Equality for Espers!" and "Registration=Death!" These people were protesting for pro-esper rights. "Looks like this is a rally."

"During the lunch rush?"

"What better way to get your attention?"

Sunstreaker saw that some of the people in the crowd looked a little different from other humans. There was a young woman covered in white fur with feline features, some pink gelatinous blob with a human skeleton floating inside, and a little girl with gills and shark teeth. He never saw any other espers aside from Darren and Kevin, and now he could see how different they were from the regular bunch.

"What are they protesting?"

"Equal rights for espers. As you can see, some people can't easily hide their powers like me. It can lead to a lot of cases of discrimination and racism, and there aren't any concrete laws that protect espers from that." Darren explained. "For all the esper haters out there, there are people who support them too. Mainly family members and close friends of espers seeking to protect them."

Sunstreaker through back to the waning days of the Functionists' hold over Cybertron. He remembered the Decepticon rallies and protests that grew each day. Sunstreaker had almost joined the Cons once to stick it to the senate and Functionists, but Sideswipe stooped him-and he was grateful for that. Seeing the humans in the same position brought back some memories of the not-so good ole' days that he would rather forget.

'Idiots.' He thought scathingly and turned a corner to make a detour.

" _Sunstreaker, this is Ironhide, how are things on your end?"_ Ironhide called in.

"Dull and boring. No sign of Cons in the area, but I have to take the long way around to reach the coordinates."

"Lucky you. We're stuck in traffic behind some obnoxious truck driver," Ironhide grunted. "Penny, stop fiddling with my radio and choose a station!"

"Someone's having fun." Darren smiled.

They drove past a mobile home connected to a black van and, unknown to them, activated the hidden sensors in the truck's headlights. The alert was immediately picked up by Mobile-1.

"Sir, we've got a read on two mechs!" Cressler reported.

Aries grinned and tightened his body armor. "What are our targets?"

"Two Autobots, sir. Designations Ironhide and one unknown. They're harboring three human heat signatures as well; two for Ironhide and one for the unknown mech." He said. "Both are heading towards L2 where Rogue 1 is held up."

"Hmm, Ironhide is a tough cookie to keep down, and it'll take too much manpower to subdue him without talos, too much to spare. Have all units close in on the unknown and herd him in our direction."

"Yes sir, but what about the human with him?"

"Just focus on capturing the Autobot. The human can wait until we've pulled them over."

"Understood."

Aries slipped into the back of the transport and addressed his team. "Okay people, this is where all your training comes to the forefront. The simulations are nothing like actual battle. Gear up and get into your positions!"

"Yes sir!" They chanted and ran off to get their weapons and gear. Aries picked up his new sword and held it in his hands.

"Today is a good day, Clarent," Aries whispered. "Today, we hunt."

XXXXXX

"So what's your brother like?" Darren asked. "Your polar opposite, I'm hoping."

"We're not talking about my brother."

"Why not?"

"Just because. Now shut up." Sunstreaker grumbled.

"Hey, I'm just trying to start a conversation." Darren said. "Driving around the city all day doing nothing is boring."

"Then you should've hung out with Jazz or Arcee. They like screwing around with fleshies. I don't."

Darren groaned. "Would you stop with the macho man attitude? I can tell you don't have a lot of friends back in space, am I right?"

Sunstreaker's car mode visibly shook in anger. "Look you little bas-"

Their potential argument was cut short as, just as they crossed an intersection, a police car slammed into them from the driver's side. Darren was nearly thrown from his seat despite the seatbelt keeping him in place. The car didn't stop until he slammed Sunstreaker into a lamp post on the corner. Sunstreaker grunted as two more cars came in from the front and back, pinning him in place.

Darren rubbed the back of his head where he hit it and looked outside to see a bunch of men in black armor file out of a van and point their rifles at them. "Crap!"

He summoned a TK shield just as they and the "cops" opened fire on them with assault rifles. Sunstreaker saw that their bullets were hitting an invisible barrier that was being maintained by Darren, who was struggling to keep his concentration.

"Darren, who the hell are these guys?!" Sunstreaker demanded.

"No idea, but I don't think they're cops!" Darren said and waved his hand. The ground under the first two cop cars flipped over, sending both vehicles into the air and allowing Sunstreaker some clearance. A missile launcher rose up from Sunstreaker's front hood and swerved to fire a missile at the van, blowing it up and scattering the mysterious soldiers trying to gun them down. He used the commotion to drive forward and speed away as fast as he could.

"Slag," Sunstreaker hissed. "Ironhide, we're under attack by humans! I'm heading towards your position, but-ah!"

Sunstreaker nearly spun over when the ground near his rear wheels blew up. Darren looked back and saw four tiny vehicles no bigger than a motorcycle chasing them. Two had machine guns mounted on the top, while the other two had rocket launchers .

"Are those drones?" He asked.

"Well, they're scrap now!" Sunstreaker spun around and drove in reverse, firing two more rockets. The first one missed, but the other took out one of the drones. The two drones in the rear fired their machine guns and peppered his front with high velocity bullets that bit into his armor like stinging bees, but Sunstreaker continued picking them off one by one. Darren levitated a piece of the street and smashed the last one like a bug, quickly retreating into his seat before he got hit by a sign or something.

"That's right, don't frag with an Autobot!" Sunstreaker laughed. Darren looked forward and screamed.

"Sunny, eyes forward!"

Sunstreaker swerved around just as a black van came skidding around the corner in front of them. The two cars drifted around each other, inches away, and Darren saw the side of the van slide open to reveal a gun turret. The soldier opened fire on Sunstreaker before Darren had enough time to erect a barrier, and the Autobot continued to drive as fast as he could through the crowded street.

"These guys are pissing me off!" He growled.

"We're not going to lose them." Darren said. "We need to call for a ground bridge."

"We can't do that in the middle of a street!"

"Sunstreaker, if we don't bridge out, we're done for!" Darren yelled. He cursed as more bullets pelted the window. He was luck Autobots were built tougher than normal cars or Sunstreaker would've been shredded metal by now.

The van that was pursuing them retracted its turret once it was clear they weren't getting past Darren's telekinetic protection. Instead, they opted for a more fast acting solution. The man in the driver's seat leaned out the window and raised a rocket launcher, firing a disk-shaped device at Sunstreaker's trunk. It attached itself to the Autobot and channeled a violent electrical surge throughout his alt mode that sent Sunstreaker for a loop.

"Ahhh!" Sunstreaker screamed as he swerved down the street uncontrollably, struggling not to crash into the sidewalk. He tried calling Ironhide or the Ark, but he couldn't find a signal. "Signal's…jammed…my motor…functions are…shot!"

Darren hung on for dear life as Sunstreaker flickered in and out of consciousness as he had a strong EMP wave drive him out of control. By chance, he looked up and saw someone in the middle of the street walking towards them. "Sunstreaker…up ahead."

Sunstreaker was still coherent enough to notice the man too. He was wearing a black bodysuit but his head was uncovered, revealing the features of a strong man with black hair and…three eyes? Sunstreaker didn't recognize him, but Darren did.

"Aries!" He exclaimed.

"Who?"

Aries smiled and reached back, drawing his sword. Clarent, the kingslayer, was truly a mighty sword; its blade was so dark that it looked like it was carved from stone, rough in appearance, dull grey in color, and three feet in length. It glowed with a dark orange aura that grew in intensity as Aries prepared to attack.

"So he's the asshole behind this!" Sunstreaker growled. "Hang on, kid. This guy's gonna be road kill!"

"No, Sunstreaker, transform! You can just ram this guy!" Darren pleaded.

"Watch me!"

Aries waited until he could see the green in Darren's eyes before spinning his sword in a dramatic flair before stabbing it into the ground. The blade gave a high pitched whine like a wail, before a bolt of energy surged through the ground and under Sunstreaker's undercarriage. The ground under him exploded and Sunstreaker was sent flying over Aries onto his hood, skidding across the ground and crashing onto the sidewalk.

Aries grinned at the power of Clarent and placed it back in his sheath on his back and walked towards the fallen Autobot. "And they called Clarent a coward's blade."

Aries pulled out his assault rifle and slowly approached Sunstreaker, waiting to see where his human occupant was, if they were still conscious from that. Just as Aries was a foot from the Autobot, a piece of concrete was uprooted and thrown at his face. He ducked under it, but was pushed back by a force blast that sent him skidding back. Growling, Aries spun around and threw a punch, his fist blocked inches away from the face of a slightly bruised Darren.

The boy was encased in his silver telekinetic armor and that was the only thing keeping him from getting hurt as Aries kicked him in the chest and fired his rifle. Tearing open a manhole, Darren used the manhole cover as a shield to block the bullets. He moved in close enough and threw the round cover at Aries, who dodged it and rushed at Darren. They traded blows, threw punches that could break bones. Darren felt Aries' hits as he tried to land a hit on the general, but Aries was more experienced than he was, despite his training under Arcee and Undertone.

Aries blocked his next punch, but a headbutt sent the general staggering back. Growling, Aries grabbed his neck and threw him over a car. Chasing after him, Aries tried to cave his skull in with an axe-kick, but Darren moved in time. The boy jumped to his feet and Aries drew his combat knife, slashing at Darren's head and chest. Though still covered in his TK armor, Darren still avoided the sharp blade and was able to avoid being stabbed, but he wasn't counting on Aries firing his eye beam at such a close distance.

The explosion nearly shattered his armor and blasted him back almost a foot before crashing to the hard asphalt. Aries didn't give him time to recover, throwing a kick that caught him in the side of the head and shattering his head protection. Darren grunted and blocked the next few punches aimed at his face before gripping Aries' arm and throwing him over his shoulder. Aries landed on his feet and kicked Darren away, drawing Clarent and slashing in a single movement.

Darren wasn't touched by the blade, but he didn't need to be; the sword's aura had torn through his armor, shredding the nonphysical protection like it was mist, and the energy wave lacing the blade tore a bloody gash along his chest diagonally, from shoulder to hip. Pain erupted through Darren's senses, but he didn't have to worry about that for long as Aries grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground, right on top of his shoulder. The boy screamed as his right shoulder was dislocated on impact, but a punch to the face from Aries knocked him out.

"Nice try, boy. But you're no match for a Zodiac." Aries said, feeling a little out of breath from that exchange. That boy certainly knew how to use his abilities to its fullest. Even a telekinetically enhanced child could hit like a brawler.

Two minutes later, the other team arrived, and the tact unit filed out of the vans, pausing slightly at Aries' glare. "You're late. Place a suppressor on the Autobot and call in the retrieval team." He ordered. "We need to haul ass before the authorities get here."

"Sir," Drake said. "What about the boy?"

"Especially him, Drake. But do be careful," Aries warned. "Espers are a nasty bunch, even in chains."

XXXXXX

"Can't you go any faster, Ironhide?" Kevin yelled.

"Don't go backseat driving, kid! I can't go any faster without alterin' the cops!" Ironhide said.

"Stop yapping and drive!" Penny shouted.

The red Autobot had been almost half way to the coordinates when they got Sunstreaker's distress signal-a garbled message about an ambush. They weren't able to do much thanks to the traffic jam, and they couldn't just call for a ground bridge in the middle of a crowded city. Penny went into overtime in finding short cuts for Ironhide to take when they lose contact with Sunstreaker. After that, all they got was jumbled mess they couldn't even understand. The sudden loss of Sunstreaker and Darren made Kevin and Penny panic.

"We're nearing the intersection now," Ironhide said. "We should be able to get a visual on Darren and Sunstreaker…"

Penny's voice died out as Ironhide pulled to a stop in front of a street roped off by police tape. Police cars and emergency vehicles were gathered all along the street where a high speed chase took place, leaving behind carnage as far as five blocks. But the lone Autobot and children paid that no mind as they focused on the flaming wreck of Sunstreaker's vehicle mode.

Even Ironhide couldn't keep the despair out of his voice. "No…"

XXXXXX

Ironhide wasn't looking forward to reporting the death of two of their own to Optimus, but it was his duty to inform his comrades of the tragic event. The Autobots and children were waiting for him upon arrival to the Ark and he tried to ignore the saddened expressions of Kevin and Penny as he followed Optimus to speak in private with Prowl and Jazz.

"Once again, Ironhide," Optimus said softly. "From the top."

"Prime? I'm…I'm not sure I have much to add to my original report, but if you think it will help…"

"I do."

Ironhide sighed. "I don't know what else to say, Prime. I was stuck in the midday rush when I heard Sunstreaker calling for an immediate assist. Something about an ambush. He was stuck in a high speed chase with some humans pursuing him down the intersection. I tried to reach them, but…I was too late."

Optimus closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. "Any chance at all that he was still functional, or if Darren had survived?"

"None. Whatever they hit them with, it was hardcore. There…wasn't much left of either of them."

Jazz gave a tired sigh. "The remains?"

"In a police compound, Jazz, in November City. The human emergency services arrived at the scene before I could secure the area. Kevin and Penny were with me…I had to back off."

"We get it, big red. No one thinks otherwise." Jazz said. "How are they?"

"Safe, but upset. They're telling the others about what happened. Darren was inside Sunstreaker when he was hit. He must've perished instantly."

The four Autobots were silent at this grim news. Annie and Debbie won't take this with dry eyes, not to mention Gina and High Wire. Two members of their own team were dead and no one could save them in time. This brought another issue to the table.

"You said Sunstreaker was attacked by humans," Prowl said. "I don't know about you three, but I have a pretty good idea who had initiated this attack."

"OZ," Ironhide snarled, his battle scarred face pulling back like a feral cat that's been angered. "They're the only ones who'd have the bearings to go this in a city. Those savages know we can't transform in a populated area! The bastards torched Sunstreaker and Darren! I'll tear them apart!"

"You will do no such thing, Ironhide. A knee-jerk response may be exactly what they want." Optimus said.

"But, Prime-"

"Wheeljack, Jazz and I will secure Sunstreaker's remains. That's our first priority. It's only a matter of time before the authorities realize he's something more than meets the eye. You remain here until further notice." Optimus commanded, staring Ironhide in the eyes. "Is that understood?"

"Yes." Ironhide spat through clenched teeth and left the office without another word. He only made it a few steps down the hall before cursing and punching the wall. "Damn and blast!"

He heard muffled crying coming from the room next to him and looked inside. Debbie and Annie were crying together with their Minicon friends trying to comfort them. Gina also had tears running down her face, but she was struggling to stay strong for the sisters. Arcee was in the corner trying to speak to a silent High Wire, who had yet to say anything.

Ironhide scowled and walked away from the gloomy scene. They were all going to pay, even if he had to fight those monsters himself!

XXXXXX

"There's our glorious hero!" Pisces said dramatically, throwing an arm around Aries' shoulders the minute he entered the private lounge where the Zodiac would relax on their off-time. "Well done, Aries. You've outdone yourself!"

"Pah! He didn't do much." Aquarius muttered.

Aries smirked and walked over to the bar to pour himself a drink. He was still riding high from defeating the Autobot and the esper boy. "Now, now, Aquarius. Jealously isn't good for your skin. Be glad we have a live specimen to work on."

"Inedeed," Pisces nodded. "Thanks to you, Aries, Project Chimera is now ahead of schedule. Now we can start working on out plan of attack."

"Hold up," Aquarius held up a hand. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"

Aries and Pisces shared a look of confusion, both men a bit hazy from the heavy alcohol they were drinking.

"What do you mean?" Pisces asked.

"The boy, Darren Radcliffe. That bloody esper you have drugged up." Scorpio droned from his spot on the plush couch.

"What about him? He can rot in a cell for all I care." Aries grumbled. "Or better yet, we can just kill the bastard and be done with him."

"That's extreme, Aries. I believe the boy is out blessing in disguise." Pisces grinned at the looks the other generals gave him. "He could be the perfect test subject for the headmaster program."

The reactions he got were varying; Aries was a bit intrigued, Aquarius was interested, and Scorpio apprehensive. Pisces admitted to being a little, mainly because the boy and his Minicons had derailed his Inhuman program. It was no different from the humiliation Aries suffered at his hands back during that circuit breaker fiasco.

"I want to try something new. Out past failures on getting the subjects to accept the implants have been very valuable lessons on what I was doing wrong." He said. "If nothing else, then I've never experimented on an esper before."

Scorpio cleared his throat. "Are we forgetting something here? I distinctly recall Ophiuchus ordering us not to touch the children."

"We're not harming the bot. I'm positive my next operation will not have any detrimental effects on him."

"That's not the point." Scorpio growled. They were disobeying Ophiuchus's orders, and that was a big no-no among their kind. Ophiuchus had no tolerance for disobedience, and her punishments were swift and painful. "She said for us to not lay a finger on those children's heads. Do you realize what she'll do to us if she learns-"

"She won't do a thing to us, because none of us in this room is going to breath a word about it!" Aries hissed. "Know that there are casualties in war, and we can just say that he was killed in a little skirmish with the Decepticons when we were capturing the Autobot. It's a solid story, so long as none of you blab about it!"

Aries meant this for everyone, but he was staring right at Scorpio as he said this. They glared at each other for a few minutes, gold on gold, before Scorpio said his piece.

"If that boy dies, and Ophiuchus learns the truth, it will be on your heads." He said calmly, making sure that they got the message.

"Only it won't come to that. Because the bot is going to play a key part in the elimination of the Autobots and Decepticons." Aries grinned and raised his glass. "We are on the road to victory, comrades. Let's not falter so close to the finish line, yes?"

Scorpio scoffed, but looked back at his dwindling wine. He hoped that karma didn't come for Aries for his backroom actions. Not even a Zodiac was immune to fate's machinations.

XXXXXX

Ironhide felt like a caged animal. He couldn't handle sitting around while still seething with rage at his inability to save his two friends. He wasn't usually too personal in losing soldiers on the field, but knowing that Sunstreaker and Darren could've been saved if he was just a bit faster made the situation hurt more than it did. So after putting another hole in his wall, Ironhide decided to vent his frustrations outside on a few trees.

It was sunset, and the disgustingly sunny day carried into the evening, with the forest now a bright orange from the fading sunlight that leaked through the treetops. Ironhide wasn't one for pretty landscapes and such, that was Jazz's thing, but the scenery was surprisingly calming to him. Losing the need to torch a few trees with his arm cannons, he stood amongst the trees with the sunlight gleaming on his armor, slightly warming him. He remembered Optimus taking some time off to explore the forest in private, mostly to think alone for awhile. Ironhide could now see why.

'If Jazz or Jetfire heard my thoughts, they'd give me so much slag.' Ironhide thought. 'But…this isn't so bad to enjoy every once in a while.'

He spent a few more minutes walking toward the lake before he heard crying nearby. Ironhide winced as he recognized the voices and walked toward the lake, where Gina and Debbie were sitting. They sat by the still waters, holding each other and softly crying. Ironhide knew this was a private moment and made to leave, but Annie caught sight of him.

"Ironhide?" She called out. "He silently curse and cleared his throat.

"Gina, Debbie, uh," Ironhide paused. This was rather difficult. "How…are you feeling?"

"What do you think?" Debbie spat, her shoulders shaking with each sob. "My baby brother's dead!"

Ironhide flinched from her tone. She barely reached past his ankle, and yet her words hurt more than any laser blast or sword wound. "I'm…I'm so sorry. If I was faster, I could've…"

"Its okay, Ironhide. You did your best, but you were taken off guard." Gina said softly, rubbing her red, puffy eyes behind her glasses. "We don't blame you."

"Where's Annie?"

"With Bulkhead and Grindor. She's… coping, I think," Gina sighed. "She thinks Darren isn't dead. I don't know what she's going on about, if she's in denial or what, but that's what she thinks."

Ironhide frowned. Annie had already been through enough as it is, and he wondered if she had finally reached her breaking point. "Gina, Debbie, I promise, I'll get the fragheads who did this. I swear upon-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Debbie shouted, spinning around to glare at him. "Just leave us the hell alone! You monsters caused us enough trouble already!"

"Debbie, its not-"

"Don't try to defend them, Gina!" Debbie snarled. "They've been nothing but trouble since we've met them. Everything from my kidnapping, to you dying, to Annie losing an arm…and Darren's…" She heaved another sob. "I've already lost my parents and now I've lost my brother. Are you freaks going to kill Annie too before you're satisfied?"

"None of that was our fault! Don't blame us for what the Cons or OZ did to you, because we've had our fair share of pain as well!" Ironhide yelled.

"I know. High Wire told me all about your god forsaken war. How many planets were destroyed, bullions of people killed. You people won't stop until everything burns!"

"Debbie, that's enough!" Gina yelled, standing over the hysterical young woman.

"NO! I won't lose you too!" Debbie was breaking down again. "I'm not going to lose my only family to those war mongering-"

Gina's slap was quick and sharp. Debbie stumbled back and fell, clutching her red cheek, teary eyes wide in surprise. Ironhide was also shocked, but wisely stayed quiet.

"Stop losing your damn mind! Putting the blame on the Autobots for something out of their power. That kind of talk won't bring Darren back, no matter how much we cry and scream!" Gina sniffled and wiped her eyes. "You can sit there and cry all you want, but I'm going to find those bastards myself and kill all of them!"

"Gina…" Debbie whispered.

"I can't keep going on knowing that my boyfriend's killers are running around. I don't care if I die again and don't come back, they'll all pay!" She continued. "And when each and every one of those freaks is dead, then I'll cry. I'll cry for everyone of my friends who've died, human or Autobot!"

Gina's face was soaked with tears as she said all this, and after she recovered, Debbie stood up and took the blond into a tight hug. Ironhide stood over them in silence, sharing their grief and letting it fuel his growing vengeance.

'Don't worry, girls. I'll make sure to give you the revenge you deserve. I swear on my Spark.' He told himself.

XXXXXX

It was the middle of the night in November City, and Wheeljack and Jazz just arrived at the impound lot. With it being so late at night, there weren't any human bystanders to witness the alien auto-theft.

" _No sign of Sunstreaker's remains_." Wheeljack said via their internal comm. " _He must be inside the building."_

" _Security?"_

" _Minimal. The perimeter fence is alarmed and there's CCTV. I can take out both with a localized EMP."_

" _Do it. There's an observation blind spot forty meters along the west perimeter. I'll go in there."_

" _Roger that. I'll see you inside."_

Jazz slowly drove to the rear of the lot and transformed, taking out his blaster and setting it to low power output. He burned through the fence in a few seconds and pushed the ruined metal aside as he entered the lot. " _I'm in."_

" _Me too, but we may have a problem."_ Wheeljack knelt over two bodies, a man and his dog. Both weren't moving. " _I have one guard down, trauma to the head. His dog is dead, shot at close range."_

Jazz frowned and set his blaster to stun. "Which means company."

Inside the building, three agents from Aries' Mars unit were loading Sunstreaker's still transformed body onto a flatbed truck. Agent Kressler was driving the escape vehicle while Kamen and Drake loaded the dead robot onto the dock.

"C'mon people, hustle!" drake whispered. "Is it clear, Kamen?"

"Yup. Not a soul in sight." Kamen nodded. "We're in the clear."

"Good, Goss, Creel, tie that wreck up. Schinidt, get the doors."

The two men grabbed the chains and began pulling the garage door up to give them an escape route, but to their surprise, they found two Autobots standing right in their path, guns pointed at them.

"This a private part or can anyone crash?" Jazz grinned.

"You bozos aren't going anywhere!" Wheeljack growled.

Drake hissed a curse and turned to his men. "Scramblers, now!"

Creel and Goss fired two shells from their launchers, which exploded and revealed two dics that latched onto Jazz and Wheeljack. The scramblers were devices designed with cybertronians in mind, made to subdue a bot by sending strong electrical charges through their neural pathways to restrict movement and paralyze them, akin to the effects of an electrical jolt to the human body. Jazz and Wheeljack were taken by surprise by the power of the little devices and quickly succumbed to its effects.

"Agh!" Jazz groaned, his body stuck in place and paralyzed. "Wh-hhh…"

"It's some k-k-kind of nuh-neural agitator." Wheeljack grunted. "Can't m-m-move!"

"Put 'em down, Drake!" Kressler yelled.

Drake dropped his case and opened it to pull out a rocket launcher, arming it with a kinetic shell. Acting quickly, Wheeljack swerved his shoulder cannon to fire a shell at the scrambler on Jazz's chest, destroying it.

"Nice shootin,' Jacki!" Jazz said. "Let me repay the favor."

"J-Jazz, l-look out…"

Drake fired the rocket and it hit Jazz square in the chest. The explosion knocked the weakened Jazz into Wheeljack after crushed the scrambler and both Autobots toppled over. Kressler used his opening to speed past tem in the truck. Drake and his team dropped a couple of smoke bombs to cover their escape and scattered.

"Jazz?" Wheeljack helped his partner up.

"Wow, that stung." Jazz hissed at the nasty burn on his chest. "Even the grunts are annoying as hell."

"Wait," Wheeljack strained his receptors and their eyes widened when they heard a beeping noise. "Move!"

They switched to alt mode and drove out of the lot and onto the street. They were a block away when the entire building exploded. The force of the explosion was enough to knock Jazz and Wheeljack down into a nearby waterway.

"I forgot how much these guys love explosions." Jazz sighed.

"Prime, it's Wheeljack. You have one hostile inbound."

Outside the city, Kressler was taking an empty road away from the impound lot after avoiding the main highway. He heard the shape charges detonate and saw the orange glow in the distance.

"Call me immature, but I do love fireworks!" He laughed. "With any luck, those giant tin cans were caught in the blas-ah!"

He jumped when he saw a giant blue leg in front of him and pushed on the brakes. Too late. The truck crashed into Optimus's leg and nearly caused the vehicle to fold in on itself. Kressler was knocked out on impact with a severe concussion and several lacerations caused by broken glass in his face. For the first time since he awoken on this planet, Optimus could care less if this terrorist died.

He walked around the truck to Sunstreaker's remains just as Jazz and Wheeljack drove down the street to him. "Teletran, send us a bridge. Mission accomplished."

XXXXXX

The team brought Sunstreaker's corpse back to the Ark, where Ratchet looked over the wreckage with Flashpoint and Longarm to oversee the cause of death. The two medics said nothing as they performed an in-depth autopsy of their fallen comrade with professional efficiency-from scannings to inspections of the warped armor material as Optimus, Jazz, Prowl and Ironhide looked on with grim expressions. Once they were done almost an hour later, they gave the results to their peers.

"Full diagnosis," Ratchet said, frowning at the wreckage. "This is not Sunstreaker."

Even Prowl couldn't hide his shock at that. "What?"

Flashpoint tapped her deactivated laser scalpel against the not-Sunstreaker corpse. "Some make/model, same stylings, someone's gone to great lengths to make it look like Sunstreaker, and done a passable job of it. But in the end…it's just a car."

The Autobots took a moment to process this and Ironhide was the first to voice everyone's concerns. "Then, the whole thing in November City…was staged?!"

"It would seem so," Prowl rubbed his chin. "But…why? Why bother with this elaborate interception and cover-up? OZ doesn't usually act this cloak and dagger with us."

"Because, Prowl, they knew that the only way we'd stop looking for Sunstreaker," Optimus said, eyes narrowed. "Is if we thought he was already dead. There's a chance he's alive, and Darren as well, by extension."

"Primus," Jazz came to a troubling realization. "If that's true, then it means that Sunny and Darren were captured by OZ, and they're at their mercy. Who knows what they're doing to our boys."

"Let's not worry about that, now. We must focus on finding any clues on their whereabouts." Optimus glared down at the misshapen car. "Their survival depends upon it."

XXXXXX

High Wire and Grindor watched Annie and Debbie sitting in front of the TV monitor installed in the Minicons' quarters. The girls barely said a word since they came back and had only been watching TV blankly. It was starting to freak Grindor out.

"I hate seeing them like this, High Wire. I don't know what to say or do to help them." Grindor said. He looked at his team leader. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"

"What is there to say? What can you say to two sisters who just lost their brother and a girl who lost her boyfriend all in the same day?" High Wire sighed.

Grindor shook his head. High Wire had been in a deep slump since he got the bad news, and his depression was steadily getting worse. It was starting to effect Sureshock too, who spent her time comforting Gina with Sara. Or that was the plan, except…

"Guys!" Gina came speeding down the hall, leaving indents in the metal floor where her feet were as she sprinted into the room and nearly ran Peppercat over in her haste and startling the sisters. "Debbie, Annie, it's not true!"

"Calm down, Gina, what's not true?" Annie asked.

"The Autobots just learned that the November City interception was some kind of sleight of hand." Gina panted. "There's a chance that Darren and Sunstreaker are alive!"

Annie, Debbie and High Wire looked at her with wide eyes, unable to say anything. Debbie, no longer able to take another surprise like this, fell off her chair and fainted.

XXXXXX

"Kevin? Penny?" Ratchet blinked as he walked into the med bay and found the two kids inspecting the fake Sunstreaker car.

"Oh, hey Ratchet. Don't mind me takin' a look-see, do you?" Penny asked as she poked her head in and around the warped piece of metal that used to be a car.

"I-I'm not sure what exactly is it you're looking for." Ratchet said as he walked over to them. "I've been over the decoy in minute detail with Flashpoint. There's nothing."

"Eh, you'd be surprised. My dad has this collection of vintage cars from the mid-1900s and older. He would let me help him restore those old scrapheaps and taught me a lot about them." Penny said. "To me, vehicles are like archaeological digs…they have history, a lineage-a whole life story just waiting to be unlocked."

She peeled off some of the metal casing from its chassis. "For example, this cassis is built from an ultra-light alloy, probably to ensure maximum decimation. To my knowledge…there are only three domestic manufacturers."

"And they'd have records of clients, customers and so forth." Kevin chimed in. "I'm betting you've got all sorts of super-duper software on this boat. Invasive programs that could dip right in and out of our "primitive" systems."

Penny took the reins. "Now, suppose someone-me, for example-was given unlimited access to your mainframe. There's no telling what they could shake loose."

Ratchet couldn't dispute their solid deductions, though he was a bit reluctant to let anyone but Gina fool around with the Ark's more…offensive cyber programs. "I should take this to Prowl…but let's face it; he'd probably either dismiss it or sit on it. Prime wouldn't go for it without enough proof."

"Then let's run our own covert investigation." Penny smirked. She was loving this. "Time is of the essence. Who knows what OZ is doing to them!"

"Ok, ok, you've convinced me." Ratchet sighed. "You kids are a bad influence on old mechs like me."

Kevin and Penny grinned.

XXXXXX

Sunstreaker was no stranger to pain. Even before the war, when he and Sideswipe would move from city to city doing odd jobs for shanix, swindling money through borderline illegal activities, there were times when he had to get physical. Swords, knives, guns, blasters, rockets, missiles, the list goes on and on the longer Sunstreaker's list of enemies grew. But he could deal with anything those second-rate posers could dish out.

But this…this was a different form of pain. This…was torture.

"AAHHHHHH!"

The golden-yellow Autobot's agonized screams filled the underground chamber as multiple saws and drills slowly tore into his body. He was restrained to a metal slab, arms and legs held in place by titanium metal braces, with nearly two dozen humans sawing and drilling into various points of his body. Energon stained the floor, leaking from the various power lines and conduits ruptured during the dissection. Large cords were connected to his cranial unit, plugged into his exposed bran module and leeching information directly from his mind. And throughout this horrific process…he was conscious.

"Well there's got to be some way to shut it up!" Dr Henry Arkeville, creator of the ERD's anti-esper weapons and technology yelled. As one of the leading scientists behind the Chimera Project, he was ordered to oversee the dissection of their captured alien by Pisces. Between that, and meeting the quota for the new shipment of Paladin mecha for the ERD, the not good doctor was at his wits end with stress. "The noise is unbearable!"

On the computer, Doctor Sidney Biggles Jones scoffed at the scientist as if he were an angry child. "What do you suggest? Ansthetics?" She sneered. "It's a machine!"

"Ugh," Arkeville rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Why don't we take it offline somehow?"

"And miss out on all this data? I don't think so." Jones replied. "I want all the readings we can get on these things!"

"Jones…" Arkeville growled.

"It's a machine, Henry, a piece of metal. It's not as though it can feel pain like we do." Jones said coldly. "It's an automated response."

"I don't care about that, it's distracting!" Arkeville said.

"Then get yourself some earplugs and get on with it!"

Sunstreaker couldn't hear a thing; he was only blinded by the pain of these…creatures tearing him apart. The scientists never found a way to quiet him down or make him go to sleep, and he screamed all the way through the morbid decapitation.

* * *

 **And now we're at the final stretch, the final part of this story. For those who have read the "-tion" saga of the IDWverse up to All Hail Megatron, you'll have a pretty good idea of what's gonna come next. Expect a new chapter for Distant Stars coming soon, and be sure to give the official website for Transformers Titan on Wordpress a quick look. Thanks for reading and please, don't be afraid to leave a review.**


	36. Headmasters part 2

Chapter 36-Headmasters part 2

Ratchet, Penny, Tracer and Kevin sat at a Teletran-1 terminal near the computer hub. Ratchet had the computer scan the faux metal and run a search on possible manufacturers in the country. The process didn't take that long, but trying to find a possible match wasn't easy considering they had no real information to narrow down the search.

"How about this one?" Tracer pointed to one of the results.

"Uh-uh. Those are bulk manufacture, for the export market." Penn said. "We need something that deals strictly within the country."

"What about this one?" Kevin asked.

"Ultralite Republica. Yeah that might be the one." Penny nodded. "Can you sort the orders by size and date? It would have been recent, and chances are they only took what they need."

"Don't rush me." Ratchet grumbled as he typed in more commands. Once Teletran brought up the results, Kevin quickly zeroed in on the top two links.

"There, the first two. A garage in Beaver, Kokomo and…a custom car outlet in Fort Wayne, Montanna."

"Dibs on the second one!" Tracer chirped.

"You know what this means, right?" Penny grinned. She and Tracer pumped their fists in the air and yelled, "Road trip!"

"I hope you weren't thinkin' of goin' anywhere without me!"

They looked back to see Ironhide standing there in the darkness, eyes glinting dangerously with his arms crossed.

"Ironhide?" Ratchet said. "What are you…?"

"I'm comin' with you, and you ain't givin' me no arguments about it." Ironhide said. "We're going to find these little glitches and I'm gonna torch 'em…my way."

XXXXXX

He was dreaming, or at least, it felt like he was. Darren couldn't tell what was reality or not, only that his mind felt foggy and he couldn't move his body.

Aside from the lights shining down on his form, which was restrained to some medical cot, he realized there were people standing over him-four men and a woman, all clad in white coats and wearing face masks. There was an IV in his arm…was he in some kind of operation? Were they doing surgery on him?!

Darren tried to access his powers, but nothing happened. Something was blocking his telekinesis-was it the drugs or some special device they planted on him? Honestly, he couldn't think straight enough to actually come up with an answer.

'Wiat…Sunstreaker and I were…chased,' Darren thought. 'Then we saw Aries, and…no, these people are with OZ!'

"Prep him for surgery." One of the men said.

The woman took out a sterilized needle and injected something into the IV bag. As soon as the drug went into his blood stream, Darren felt himself feel very drowsy, and his vision started to blur.

'No…Sunstrea…' Darren's thoughts became fuzzy as he was put under, now at the mercy of these terrorists.

XXXXXX

They carried out the "operation" in the middle of the night, which involved Penny and Kevin sneaking out of their homes while their families were asleep. They met up with Ironhide and Ratchet, and they took a ground bridge to their destination-the custom car shop in Fort Wayne. Once they were sure that no one was around, Ironhide did a quick grid scan on the shop and found a multitude of various hidden scanners and infrared beams, things that you definitely wouldn't find in a regular car shop.

"I know the crime rate hereabouts has gone sky-high," Kevin whistled. "But isn't this on the extreme side?"

"Riiight. That's a lot of security for new wheeltrims and some dodgy in-car audio." Penny nodded.

"And it's sophisticated stuff. Maybe a bit too sophisticated." Ironhide grumbled.

"Ironhide?"

"I could be wrong, kid, but there's something in there I think is a Holomatter reader."

"And an energon detector. Definitely not just for human intruders." Penny crossed her arms. "Yup, this has to be the place."

"So…what are we waiting for?" Kevin asked.

"A solid, risk free, strategy, Kevin. If this place is linked to the people who've got Sunstreaker-"

"And Darren!" Penny cut in sharply.

"And Darren, then we move in only with the utmost caution." Ironhide said.

"But-"

"But nothin'. You two don't know all that much about OZ like the others. They're no run of the mill terrorists, they're a cult with all the resources in the world. They're powerful, and they are not afraid to combat any Autobot or Decepticon they come across. Primus knows what they plan to with Darren, but it's nothing good. And they have a habit of covering their tracks…explosively. OZ has always gotten the jump on us time and time again, but this time, we take the initiative."

After a moment, Ratchet drove around to the back of the shop towards the loading area. "There's a rear loading bay back here, Ironhide. I figure it's our best bet." He said. "I can also cryo-freeze the external pressure pads and motion sensors, but if there are Holomatter readers, if we so much as stick a virtual toe inside, we're blown."

"So let us go in!" Kevin said, pointing to himself and Penny.

"Yeah! And before you roll out the "This isn't your fight" speech, it totally is!" Penny growled. "When they took Sunstreaker, they took Darren too. Chances are, that was a mistake. We have to find him before whoever has him decides he's surplus requirements."

Ironhide was quiet for a moment before popping his doors open to let the children out. "I'm gonna regret this. I know it."

XXXXXX

William McCullen was a man of action. A descendant of a long line of warriors forged from battle, he prided himself on his family legacy. A legacy that he swore to uphold in the name of making sure the entire world knew of his clan's strength and prestige. As the CEO of Mars Industries, he did just that-making sure everyone knew who sent those missiles, who made those bombs, who built those talos trudging across the battlefield. He was no sadist, but it was almost euphoric to know that he was the cause of so many deaths across the world; a higher body count than all of his ancestors combined.

But when OZ brought him and his wife, Anastasia, into the fold, he found a new calling-becoming one of the most powerful men in the world. Not just in the combat theatre, but in business, politics and religion. To become a god among men, something thousands of people only dreamed about. And to think that his technology would help usher in that new age. The only problem is that he had to step lightly around the Zodiac. They were really temperamental.

"Aquarius! What a surprise," William greeted the beautiful general as she disembarked the Dragon transport aircraft with false enthusiasm. "If I had known that you were coming over-"

"Save it, Destro, I'm here on business." Aquarius said. William frowned at the unofficial title she had bestowed upon him since they first met and followed the woman into his family castle.

Castle Destro was situated on top of a mountain in Airlann, high above the little peasant villages and towns that lived in its shadow. Despite its considerable age, the castle harbored numerous technological advancements and upgrades hidden in plain sight, not marring the castle's aesthetic, but enhancing it. Aquarius knew this place by heart as she and the castle's master traveled down to the lower levels of the estate, where there was an elevator lift that would take them to the man-made basement level inside the mountain the castle was sitting on.

"If you don't mind me, asking, Aquarius, why are you here?" William asked.

"What else? Last I heard, Pisces was slumming it out in the boonies with you and your stupid kilts." Aquarius said rudely. William knew she was in a very bad mood. "We're running behind schedule because he keeps screwing around with you and I've had it."

"Pisces has been helping us finalize the design of our newest invention that should help OZ's operations in the near future." William said. "It's something that can only be seen to believed."

"I'll be the judge of that." She replied coldly.

As they went lower, the old, Airlann architecture gave way to natural caves lined with artificial lights and magnetic railings. Once they reached the bottom, they walked through an access tunnel they took them to a large cavern where the magic was held. Mars' unofficial weapons testing chamber where they tested out new gadgets and weapons for OZ's use.

They came into the observation deck that overlooked the testing field, which was retrofitted to harbor a massive power generator built into the cave ceiling, positioned over a circular pad with protective glass along its perimeter. Overseeing the project was William's wife, Baroness Anastasia Romanov, his partner in crime and the more level-headed of the two. Clad in a tight, form fitting black bodysuit, she was a beauty even in combat gear with fine features, long silky black hair and narrow eyes sharp as glass glinting behind thin glasses. Anastasia didn't bother greeting Aquarius (more out of insult than necessity) as she explained their little project.

"The multipoint asynchronus sebether station. We call it MASS." Anastasia explained in a heavily accented voice. "I won't bore you with the math, Aquarius, that's Pisces job. Basically, it's quantum physicals. Heisenberg uncertainty principles. A degree of faith."

"You're building…a teleportation machine?" Aquarius blinked. Anastasia smirked.

"Yes, and it works. Pisces was kind enough to volunteer for us."

William handed Aquarius some protective goggles, and allowed his subordinates to show her what they've spent nearly three years working on in secret. The generator lowered itself over the pad and began generating a large, fragmented dome of energy. A loud humming filled the cave as the machine came to life and within just a few seconds, a humanoid figure materialized in the ethereal storm inside the dome. Aquarius couldn't hide her shock as she saw Pisces, clad in a protective bodysuit, appear before her eyes out of thin air.

"Holy shit." She muttered, but the McCullen couple heard her perfectly.

"Our sentiments exactly when it worked for us." Anastasia said and leaned into the microphone. "How are you feeling, Pisces? Any side effects? Dizziness, nausea, breaking down of the atoms in your body?"

"I'm…fine. I'm perfectly fine!" Pisces laughed. "It worked! William, Anastasia, you wonderful bastards, it actually-oh," His elated expression turned dull as he noticed Aquarius there. "Hello, Aquarius."

"Go to hell." She said back and looked at the machine in a new light. "So, this is another one of your secret projects. And it actually worked."

"It's all thanks to Pisces," Anastasia said. "Thanks to his fine tuning of the relay system, we've been able to send people to Nippon and back within seconds."

"Relay system?"

"A satellite stationed in high orbit." William explained. "Basically, the MASS device works by disassembling physical objects, teleporting them to the relay at the speed of light."

"Then its particles are fired down to the target and reassembled there in a broadcast energy field." Anastasia finished. "When we first started this project, test subjects would have their structural integrity fail at the molecular level. The first men would evaporate before we could call them back. Couldn't keep the signal constant as he never made it home to castle Destro for full re-integration."

"That's when Pisces gave it his magic touch, I presume?" Aquarius asked. Pisces entered the observation deck and pulled off his mask. "

"Got it in one, dear sister. The problem was that there needed to be an interface between the data stored on the satellite and on our teleported subjects. Data was lost during the uploading of the target subject's atomic record and the downloading on either end of the process. There needed to be a more consistent exchange of data throughout the teleportation event. A simplified nanomite processor designed to pick up the slack."

Pisces threw something at her, and she easily caught it. It was a coin. "A coin? That's your secret?"

"That is a targeting coin. It's laden with a significantly smaller version of the nanomite cluster onboard the relay star. The nanomite coins are used to determine the initial location of all the particles in a target. The regular transmission process is carried out and all particles of a target and their estimated velocities are accounted for MASS creates data points in 3D space." Pisces grinned victoriously. "The relay star uses two lasers, one to digitize each of the particles in the target and another to "paint" a mirror of the data points at the desired location."

"And all of it's powered by the planet's mangosphere. Off the grid and self-sustaining." Anastasia finished off.

A normal person without various degrees in science and technology would've been completely lost halfway through that explanation, but Aquarius understood it all and it amazed her. The world's first human-made teleportation system and it was made long before they even thought about the cybertronians. "You actually made a teleportation machine."

"Exactly. And it's all for OZ's use, Aquarius." William smiled. An eager glint shone in her eyes as she thought of all the things that were suddenly made possible by this historical creation.

"We can go anywhere we want and no one could stop us." She whispered. "We could pop right inside the vault of the Museum of Art and History and steal everything without tripping an alarm!"

"Actually, I've been thinking of a more worthy use of this system." Pisces grinned. "Something I think you'll like very much."

It was a treat seeing the usually talkative Aquarius stunned speechless. Thus, Pisces, William and Anastasia thought it would be smart not to mention their added help from the Destruction Minion team…and the fact that the whole thing was based off the orbital jump technology of the cybertronians. She didn't have to know _everything._

XXXXXX

"They're in." Ratchet said. He had a wire frame scan on the shop displayed from his dashboard as he sat parked in front of the loading bay with a hole melted through the gate. "Thankfully, Customs Wheels' conventional security systems are susceptible to our discordancy field."

"Good. Let's just hope that there are no more surprises." Ironhide said.

Inside, Kevin and Penny explored the storage area of the shop, with tall racks full of boxes, nothing out of the ordinary…yet.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Kevin asked.

"Pallets of Ultralite-50. Could be, that consignment of alloy we traced was delivered and shipped onwards. But if not, where did it go?" Penny combed every place she thought would have some kind of sign of a construction factory. Something that hinted at a building factory line.

She flashed her flashlight inside each room, frowning as she saw nothing important aside from common automotive goods. "This looks like a pretty standard retail outlet and ultralite's not something you sell over the counter. So one of two things must've happened…it's here in sheet form, or it was used, maybe to build a Sunstreaker clone!"

Psst, Penny!" Kevin waved her over to a section of the wall behind a supply rack. He lit a tiny flame on his fingertip for more light. "See that grove? It goes right up and around, then up again here. I think it may be a door."

"Could be." She made to push the rack aside. "Help me push this thi-oh!"

Penny almost fell over as the rack easily slid over with just a little force. Kevin made an impressed sound. "You're either stronger than you look, Penny…or that thing's built to move." He said.

"Probably on a rail. Hmm," Penny felt along the seam in the wall. "No visible latch or handle. Let's see now…ah! Hold the light steady!"

"What'd you find?"

"A very slight vibration." She pulled a switch blade from her pocket and lightly poked the blade into the crease. "Could be some kind of trembler pad. If I can just…aha!"

The wall split apart to reveal a wide staircase that led down to some secret basement level unseen by the public. "I don't recall seeing this on Ironhide's virtual floorplan."

"Nope. Which means that it's shielded somehow." Penny hummed. "Too sophisticated technology for a simple retail store."

They stood there for a moment, now feeling a little nervous now that they were making some progress. They looked at each other, silently asking if they wanted to go first. Kevin smiled and bowed graciously.

"Ladies first."

Penny scoffed, but couldn't keep herself from smiling. "Here we go…into the fire."

They walked down the staircase and entered a long hallway that led to a large room. Kevin and Penny were greeted with what they were looking for-a car manufacturing plant complete with a production line, scattered materials and even some car chassis.

"This is unreal." Kevin whispered. There were half finished cars built in the same likeliness as Sunstreaker's alt mode, both in yellow and red coloration sitting on powered down conveyor belts. "Make's my aunt's garage look like an off-road chop-shop. I don't even recognize half of the stuff here."

Penny elbowed him. "If you're done salivating, we should get on with the search. Y'know, something that might lead us to Sunstreaker and Darren."

"Uh, sure, yeah."

Penny went into the manager's booth and started looking through files on the computer. She searched for any relevant clues like names or specific locations, but all she found were catalogues of past buyers and suppliers. "Damn, I'm not finding anything."

"Nothing good in the trash either." Kevin muttered as he dug through the trash bin. At Penny's questioning look, he shrugged. "What? It works in detective novels."

"Let's keep looking. After being almost buried alive, I'm starting to get a little antsy below ground, so let's be…hm?"

Penny pushed aside a few papers and saw a business car on the table. It said "Epsilon Holdings", a company Penny vaguely remembered hearing about. She picked up the card and turned it around, frowning when she saw no phone number or address.

"What kind of business car doesn't have a-" She jumped when all the ventilation shafts slammed closed and the door automatically locked itself. There was a loud hiss as a thick, sweet smelling mist was sprayed into the room.

"Penny, what did you do?" Kevin coughed.

"Nothing, I-ugh." Penny fell over the desk, passing out from the quick acting gas.

"No…" Kevin tried to summon a flame, but couldn't concentrate hard enough. It wasn't long before he, too, passed out and fell to the floor.

Neither child stayed awake long enough to see the timer pop up on the computer screen and begin counting down from ten minutes.

XXXXXX

"Excellent," Pisces grinned as he looked over the medical results. "Just excellent."

"Well?" Aries walked up to him. "How'd the surgery go?"

"Our latest test subject is recovering nicely. There is no sign of the implants being rejected this time." Pisces said. "We've finally done it."

"About damn time." Aquarius sighed, lounging on the couch like a cat. "So when can we outfit the other soldiers with these tech?"

"Not so fast. We still need to do some more tests-"

"We've done enough tests, Pisces!" Aquarius shouted. "I have Sagittarius riding my ass on this new army we promised Ophiuchus by summer, and it's almost spring! We need working models now!"

"We're already going as fast as we dare. We've had too many setbacks to rush things at this point." Pisces said calmly. "I'm dealing with new territory when it comes to cybertronian science, and Thornment isn't exactly forthcoming with the details."

"As long as we get results, I'm willing to listen to our fearless leader bark." Aries said. "We're entering the final stage, brother and sister. Thanks to the information we gleaned from our captured Autobot and Decepticon we can finally make preparations for Operation Divine Comedy."

"Divine Comedy?" Aquarius blinked. "What operation? No one ever told me this!"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. Pisces and I made plans to have our new army invade the resting places of the Ark and Nemesis." Aries said, gold eyes flashing. "We'll wipe out the Autobots and Decepticons in one fell swoop and end their interference once and for all."

XXXXXX

Outside the custom auto-shop, Ratchet and Ironhide were getting nervous after hearing nothing from Penny and Kevin.

"It's been too long." Ratchet said.

"Yeah. Ten minute intervals, we said. One of them should've signaled us." Ironhide said.

"Of course, they could just be ignoring us." Ratchet replied. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Tracer frowned and smacked Ratchet's steering wheel. "Or they could be incapacitated or dead you lunk heads!"

Ratchet and Ironhide were silent and the red Autobot angled himself in front of the store. "I'm going in!"

Ironhide sped forward and smashed through the door and front window. With the force of an angry bull, he plowed through the front display, tore through the shelves and into the wall behind the cash register until he reached the storage room.

"Ratchet, there's some kind of concealed room entrance back here. My sensor probes don't detect a damn thing-a big, black nothing." Ironhide created his Holomatter. "Holomatter-readers be damned, I'm gonna take a loo-see!"

"Hurry!" Tracer cried out.

"Make haste, Ironhide, local authorities are on their way." Ratchet urged.

Ironhide phased his avatar through the wall and into the basement level. He took a quick look around, noting the Sunstreaker replicas, before scanning for life signals. He found the unconscious Penny and Kevin in the operator's booth, with a timer on the computer screen.

"Frag!"

"Ironhide? What is it?" Ratchet asked.

"It's bad." He said as he saw the timer count down to three minutes.

After a quick rundown of the crisis on their hands, Ratchet parked himself in the rear loading bay with Tracer in his cab.

"Ratchet, you ready?"

"Yes. I've finally got a fix on your position."

"Good, now get cutting!"

Tracer activated the laser cutters in her arms and slowly carved a hole in the moderately tough concrete. Inside the basement, Ironhide glanced warily at the clock, which was now at 1:59.

"Come on, Tracer, hurry." He muttered.

"I probably shouldn't mention this, Ironhide, but we have law enforcement inbound." Ratchet said.

"ETA?"

"You don't want to know, love." Tracer grunted.

"Look, Ironhide, you should get yourself to a safe distance."

"Can't. My Holomatter emitter doesn't have the necessary range and I'll need maximum saturation when we break through."

Ratchet hummed his engine nervously. "Okay, but we're cutting it very fine!"

1:49.

Tracer channeled as much power to her cutters to increase the laser's power. It took a few more seconds than she would've allowed, but she managed to break through to the basement.

00:35.

"You're through, Tracer-cut our power!" Ironhide yelled. When Tracer deactivated her lasers, he channeled more power into his avatar, making it grow taller so he could reach the ceiling.

00:25.

One by one, Ironhide handed the children over to Tracer through the hole she made and the Minicon carefully placed them into Ratchet's cab.

"Got 'em!"

Ratchet slammed his doors shut and sped away from the building. "We're clear, Ironhide, get yourself out of there!"

00:11.

Ironhide deactivated his avatar and drove back in reverse. The objects left in his wake from his forced entry slowed him down, and an iron hubcap catching in his back wheels stalled him over one of the shelves. Ironhide's curse was very audible this time.

00:04.

Ironhide got himself free and continued driving back. He could hear the polica cars outside and knew they were in big trouble.

00:02.

He finally smashed back through the ruined window display and was back outside just as the police cars drove into the parking lot. Ironhide tried to warn them away, but the last two seconds were already up.

00:00.

The entire building exploded in a brilliant burst of flames that engulfed Ironhide, the police cars and the two neighboring shops. The force of the explosion rattled the entire neighborhood and started a panic. As for Ratchet and Tracer, all they could do was run with the children in tow.

XXXXXX

"What the hell were you and Ironhide thinking?" Prowl hissed. "Acting without orders, bringing two humans and a Minicon into danger willingly, have you lost your damn mind?"

Ratchet didn't have the heart to look Optimus or Prowl in the face as they spoke in the med bay. Kevin and Penny were resting nearby, unharmed but still sleeping. Gina and Sara were watching over them.

"I hope it was worth it, Ratchet, because now we've lost Ironhide on top of Sunstreaker." Prowl scolded.

"Ratchet, you have better sense than this." Optimus said, taking the chance to speak before Prowl flared up again. "Dealing with OZ alone, much less with the children present, was a foolish move I never thought you would've taken."

"I know, Optimus," Ratchet said. "But Darren and Sunstreaker's lives were in danger. We had a lead and we investigated before they had a chance to cover their tracks. Unfortunately, we didn't learn as much as we thought we would."

Optimus sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What did you learn at least?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. Penny was holding this car when I looked her over. I don't know what the insignia means, but I'm running it through Teletran now-"

"I know what it means." Gina spoke up. "That's the insignia of Epsilon Holdings, a military contractor, one of the biggest in the country aside from Mars Industries. Annie saw the name of one of OZ's benefactors, Laguna Harvey."

"Do you think that these people might have Darren and Sunstreaker captive?"Prowl asked.

"Maybe. But the company has facilities all over the nation. It's too much ground to cover." Gina said.

"Then we better get started." Optimus said and slammed a fist into his palm. "It's time we striked back in force!"

XXXXXX

Darren sat up in his bed, scowling at his "prison". He woke up in some hospital room with no windows. He had a chain tied to his bed around his wrist, and still couldn't use his powers. Just a few minutes ago, a pretty blond nurse walked in with the coldest gaze a woman of her profession could have, and did a quick check-up on his vitals and motor functions. He let her do her thing, seeing as he was at a serious disadvantage now.

She left without a word, and just a few minutes later, he had another visitor. One he loathed immediately,

"Good morning, Mr. Radcliffe!" Pisces greeted him with that annoyingly coy smirk. "How are you feeling today?"

"Like I want to kill you!" Darren growled. He tried to crush the windpipe of the Zodiac, but all he succeeded in doing was worsening his headache.

"That won't work, you know." Pisces pointed to the high tech collar around Darren's neck. "That collar blocks your esper powers. As of right now, you are no stronger than a child with some martial arts training. A little gift from the island nation of Utopia."

Darren glared bloody murder at him. "Where's Sunstreaker? What did you do to him?"

"Nothing you'd want to hear or see." Pisces said coolly. "Come, we have someone to meet."

The two guards that came in with Pisces pulled Darren out of bed and helped him down the hall after their commander. It wasn't a long walk, and soon Darren found himself inside a large hangar bay that held almost three dozen talos in reserve. But what caught his attention was the Zodiac general Aries and the 17 foot tall femme standing next to him."

"You." Darren hissed at Aries.

"Hello to you too, boy." Aries said coldly.

"Save the alpha male contest for later, boys." Thornment said. "What are the results?"

"It's obvious, Thornment." Pisces smiled. "The boy has accepted the upgrades without a problem."

"No sign of any defects, health issues or deformities. And the operation was done only a day ago." Aries hummed. "The new healing accelerants have exceeded expectations."

"You've outdone yourself, Pisces." Thornment nodded. "Begin mass production."

"As you wish."

What the hell is going on here?" Darren asked. "What do you want with me?"

Aries drew Clarent and held the sword to Darren's neck. He could feel the heat rising from the blade, making him sweat, but Darren struggled to show no fear.

"You? Nothing. You've served our purpose. You're just a tag along." Aries said.

"Though, I suppose with the right conditioning," Pisces pointed to the wall behind Darren. "You could still play a part in OZ's new world order."

Darren looked behind him and gasped. Lined up against the wall were a dozen headless Sunstreaker clones, all built to the image of the Autobot himself with little deviations from the original design, sans head. They were building an army of clones!

'No,' Darren thought, horrified. 'What have they done to him?!'

* * *

 **We learn Aries' endgame, and the dangerous events that are about to unfold between OZ and the cybertronians. And yes, we also get to meet Destro and Baroness, expect a few other Joe cameos in the future, though they're kept to a minimum. Not much else to say here, aside from thank your for reading and please leave a review!**


	37. Headmasters part 3

Chapter 37-Headmasters part 3

It was early morning in Valparaiso, Indianna as Rodimus and Wheeljack drove down the highway leading into the city. The two Autobots had just been on recon duty when Ratchet called them up for a much-needed update on their missing comrade-Ironhide.

"Let me get this straight, Ratchet," Rodimus said. "Someone's going to pulverize Ironhide?"

"Apparently so, Rodimus. It's taken three weeks, but I finally got a solid G.P. lock in an automotive scrap yard in Warsaw." Ratchet said. "According to their onsite log, he's in a clutch of wrecks scheduled for the pneumatic presses when they operated at 8:00 AM."

"Huh. Well then, given that it's 5:17, we're hardly, er, pressed for time." Rodimus made a noise of clearing his throat at the bad pun. "Still, any excuse to go fast! Come on, Jackie, let's burn!"

Rodimus and Wheeljack increased their speed and made to drive someplace private for Ratchet to bridge them to Warsaw. They were unaware of the Sedan trailing after them, tracking their travel route.

XXXXXX

"Come on, Bulkhead! Keep the pace up!"

"Ugh," Bulkhead groaned as he lay on his side, lifting his leg up in tune with Annie's counting, matching her movements in their usual exercise routine. "This is embarrassing."

"If you want to walk, Bulkhead, you'll follow my lead." Annie said. "Doctor's orders."

Off to the side, Grindor and Jolt were watching the odd spectacle like it's a movie, sharing two cans of Kremzeek. "This is too good." He smirked.

"I know, right?" Jolt laughed.

"Shut it." Bulkhead grunted, struggling to lift his leg before bringing it down with a sigh. "This is too much. Can't I just drive around? I can do that perfectly."

"And risk your legs atrophying? Not a chance, Bulkhead." Ratchet said. "You need to regain strength in your body after that neurotoxin tore through your body's systems. Daily exercise is key, and Annie is the perfect instructor for you."

"Be glad Jazz isn't doing this. He'll make you do balancing acts on your fingertips." Annie said. "And stop complaining, Bulk, don't you do twice as much lifting as anyone in this ship?"

"Yeah, Bulkhead, this shouldn't be too hard for a former Wrecker!" Jolt called out.

"I'm plucking you after I'm done with this." Bulkhead threatened.

Grindor tapped Jolt on the shoulder. "Did you record this?"

"I've got a sky spy recording this as we speak." Jolt whispered.

"Sweet." Grindor gave Jolt a fist bump.

Annie helped Bulkhead complete a few more sets before ending their session, much to the giant mech's relief. As she went to get some water, she heard shouting outside in the hallway and looked out to see the commotion.

"Don't walk away from me!"

It was Debbie, and she was tailing Prowl down the hall like a feral cat ready to tear apart her prey. The elder Radcliffe was giving Prowl an earful and the Autobot looked like he was at his wits end, close to tearing his audials out.

"Debbie, please, would you stop being so hysterical?" Prowl asked miserably. "You don't have to shout."

"Apparently I do if I need to get anyone's attention around here. You may not give a damn about Darren, but I do!" Debbie yelled. "Look at me damn it!"

Prowl stopped in front of the command center and glared down at Debbie with a rare show of annoyance, and Debbie glared at him without hesitation.

"It's been three weeks since they took Darren and Sunstreaker, and the only ones who seem to actually give a damn are Arcee, Moonracer, Bumblebee, and the Minicons. Even Gina and Sara are doing more than you guys!"

"We've hit a dead end, Debbie. Right now, all we have to go on is a single company with facilities all over this nation and Europa." Prowl told her. "Too much ground to cover and it's too dangerous to start attacking locations randomly and hope we'll hit gold."

"So instead, you people decide to do nothing and sit on your asses."

"You've said the some of the others are making an effort to look for your brother, see if they've made any progress." He turned his back on her and continued walking down the hall. "Right now, we've got to deal with saving Ironhide and contend with the Decepticons still hoarding ore-13. If you'll excuse me."

Debbie watched Prowl walk away with angry eyes and stomped her foot. "I HOPE ALL OF YOU AUTOBOTS GO TO HELL!"

"Debbie," Annie walked up to her, grabbing her elbow to pull her to the side. "Calm down. You're causing a scene."

"So what? I hope everyone hears me! They need to know that I'm not going to shut up until someone does something around here!" Debbie screamed. She took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead to soothe her aching head.

"Raging about it won't help anyone, and your face is so red you could match Optimus in coloration. You're going to pass out from stress." Annie gave her sister a one armed hug. "Please, calm down, for my sake at least before you put yourself in the hospital."

Debbie took a moment to calm her fast heating heart before pulling Annie close, resting her head in the smaller girl's hair. "How are you so calm? Usually you're the one who'd be kicking and screaming in situations like this."

"Because I know Darren's still alive. He's my twin, remember? We know when the other's in pain." Annie said, resting her head against Debbie's chest. "He's still alive and I have faith that he'll find a way to come back to us."

"Thanks, Annie."

In the command center, another tense conversation was going on. Optimus was sitting in his chair listening to a very concerned Sideswipe try to convince him to get a transfer to Terra.

"Look, Prime, whatever reason there was for us to be here, it's gone. It went with Thunderwing." Sideswipe said. "Instead of babysitting an empty base, we could be there on Terra backing you up. See, I've been monitoring your situation so I know that right now, you could do with reinforcements."

"Sideswipe," Optimus said calmly. "Put Hound back on."

Sideswipe frowned and backed away to allow an annoyed Hound to speak. "Sorry about that, Prime. I-"

"Hound, I'll have Elita-1 take over from you there. She can see to the decommissioning of Bludgeon's base. You and a squad of your choosing will prepare for onward transmission to Terra."

Sideswipe's look of shock almost made Optimus smile if the situation weren't so dire. In truth, he didn't require anymore reinforcements on Terra at the moment, and he knew Sideswipe only wanted to come because he knew Sunstreaker was in danger. Cybertronian siblings had a kind of sixth sense to each other's pain, no matter the distance. It happened with Arcee and Moonracer, and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were no different.

Optimus agreed to have Hound's team transferred because Sideswipe might actually instinctively know where Sunstreaker was being held by OZ, and by extension, Darren. It was a risky plan with a lot of room for error, but it was better than sitting around waiting for something to turn up.

He turned in his seat and saw the Radcliffe sisters talking in the hall. Optimus prayed to the Matrix that Darren was safe, because he didn't believe Debbie and Annie could handle another personal tragedy.

XXXXXX

" _It'd be great, Hot Rod. You, me, together again!" Dealer said. "Come on!"_

 _Rodimus expression had an oddly serious look on his usually carefree face as he spoke with a good friend of his from his old unit. The flame patterned mech once had a team of his own on a mission to the planet Ki-Aleta, which held an ancient and powerful relic called the Magnificence. Long story short, halfway into the mission, equipment failure led to Rodimus's team being slaughtered and Dealer being taken prisoner by Decepticons. Rodimus had worked tirelessly to save his friend and led a solo operation to free Deale, putting at least some of his demons to rest._

" _Sure, Dealer, sure, but…things are really tense here and I doubt Prime or Prowl would appreciate me taking in unneeded stragglers." Rodimus said. "Deployment wise, my hands are tied."_

" _Come on! You're telling me you couldn't whisper in the right audio receptor, grease a few sticky wheels? You must be losing your touch." Dealer quipped. "Get me to Terra, Hot Rod, the sooner, the better. You and I, well, we've got history!"_

" _Um, yeah." Rodimus said, a little distracted. "Let me see what I can do. Right now, I gotta go places."_

That conversation was on Rodimus's mind since this morning, and it made him uncharacteristically quiet. He really didn't need to deal with this right now, not with so many other things going on at once.

"Hot Rod, you feeling all right?" Wheeljack asked. "You're kind of quiet."

"I'm fine, Wheeljack, just focusing on the mission. And don't call me Hot Rod!" Rodimus said. "Now pick up the speed-we got three hours to haul Ironhide's fender out of the hydraulic presses!"

"Which is plenty of time. So let's keep it a mile closer to the speed limit, eh?" Wheeljack said as he pulled up to Rodimus. "And Rodimus, initialize your holo-driver."

"Yeah, yeah." Rodimus generated his faux human in his empty driving seat. "As for as the speed limit, it's not like there's anyone on the road at this hour-whoa!"

Rodimus's hologram jumped a bit as two yellow blurs zipped past him and Wheeljack. "What the hell? Wheeljack, did you-"

"Yeah, I see them too." Wheeljack said. "And I wish I hadn't."

The two Autobots realized they were surrounded on all sides by cars that looked exactly like Sunstreaker's alt mode, easily matching their speed on the highway.

In a mobile command vehicle, field agent Drake of the Mars unit was monitoring the highway chase with agent John.

"Targets are in the grid, Drake." John reported, using aerial drones to monitor the situation from the air. "We have a 30-mile window before they hit Plymouth."

Drake nodded. "The Zodiac are watching, John, give 'em a good show!"

The Sunstreaker clones pulled back and opened their hoods, revealing six chambered missile launchers. "Rodimus!" Wheeljack exclaimed.

"Looks like the resemblance to Sunstreaker is more than skin deep!" Rodimus remarked.

"Break!"

Just as the four cars fired their missiles, Rodimus and Wheeljack separated, allowing the dangerous projectiles to explode between them. Two of the clones sped up and slammed into Wheeljack, trying to knock him off the road.

"We need to put some distance between them and us!" He grunted, trying to dislodge his assailants. He yelped when a missile hit dangerously close to his fender.

"Why?" Rodimus ignited his exhaust pipes, increasing is speed. "I vote we stick around and show these pale imitations how to fight fire with fire!"

Wheeljack broke out of the deadlock by slamming on his brakes just as another clone tried to ram him, slamming into the other clone instead. The engineer caught up to Rodimus. "Because what's to say one of them isn't the real Sunstreaker?"

"Then he better pray I don't leave him in stasis lock."

XXXXXX

"Hmm," Pisces hummed and waved his hand in front of Darren's blank face. The boy didn't move or even blink as he sat in his chair, staring forward with dead eyes. "Is he awake?"

"Yes…and no. his conscious mind has been surpressed," Doctor Sidney Jones said, checking Darren's medical charts. "But all his motor-functions and reactions are intact, leaving us free to impose our own directives. Essentially, Darren Radcliffe..is OZ property."

"Good, good." Pisces smiled. "You've really helped us this time boy. Your body's accepted both the implants and the exo-carapice perfectly. Such a shame you and your sisters garnered Aries' ire. You certainly won't be needing this anymore."

Pisces inserted a key into Darren's inhibitor collar and clipped it open to take it off. He patted the boy on the head and walked to the door with the doctor.

"Now Sidney, show me how the Barricade warriors are doing."

"Of course, Pisces…"

They left the room to move onto their other projects, and they were so engaged in their work that they failed to see Darren's green eyes following their movements.

XXXXXX

Highway 30 became a highway to hell for Rodimus and Wheeljack as they dodged the volley of rockets fired at them by the Sunstreaker clones. The unknown and unnamed attackers were only a few paces behind and they were increasingly hard to divert or escape from.

"So much for outrunning them." Rodimus said.

"Yeah, they've got pace," Wheeljack said, swerving around a rocket that almost blew out his front tire.

"And range! Ow!" Rodimus hissed as a rocket crashed in front of him. "Any other bright ideas, Wheeljack? Cause, you know, much as I tolerate Sunstreaker, I'm starting not to care!"

"If we can't outmaneuver them, then we outsmart them!" Wheeljack made a hard left, drifting in front of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler truck. A clone tried to follow, but the truck hit it dead center and sent the vehicle crashing into the highway's protective railing, now a crushed and destroyed wreck.

"Good to see you're not a straight shooter, Jackie." Rodimus swerved onto a sharply curving road and the clone chasing him tried to do the same move. But it wasn't as adept at high speed control like Rodimus was, and this it crash through the railing and fell over the edge to its destruction. "That's two out of the equation."

They drove to the end of the road, making a detour onto a dirt path that led to the back end of an oil refinery. Seeing they lose their pursuers, the Autobots parked themselves to take a breather.

"Can we rest now?" Wheeljack groaned. It wasn't even ten yet, and things were already going south. He groaned even louder when he saw the remaining three clones drive down the path and slowly edged toward the Autobots, rocket launchers ready to fire on command.

"Slag, it's like they know how we think," Rodimus growled. "Anticipate every move we make."

"But…they're just automated drones, right?" Wheeljack asked and looked at his partner. "Right?"

"I don't know, but I know I'm sick of this game of cat and mouse. Let's see what they do when they see this!" Rodimus and Wheeljack converted to their robot modes and deployed their weapons; Rodimus extended his arm blasters, and Wheeljack took out his pulse cannon. They were ready for battle, but were hoping these "drones" were just simple clones of Sunstreaker's alt mode.

Too bad the universe hated them too much to cater to their hopes.

XXXXXX

'What did they do to me?' Darren thought as he stumbled through the halls of the OZ base. He felt dizzy, and his mind was hazy and sluggish. 'What am I now?'

Whatever they had done to him, it was more than just fixing some weird exo-armor to his body. He felt different inside too. Over the past three weeks, the scientists here had been trying to brainwash him into some loyal soldier on Aries' orders. Three weeks of pumping drugs into his body and using hypnotic suggestions to weaken his defenses. The only reason he had a clear head was because he repeated songs from his favorite childhood animated movies and inflicted some form of pain on himself to fight off the effects.

Thinking about his family and friends helped too, along with a personal mantra of Gina's science equations.

Darren jumped when he heard cheers coming from one of the rooms. Quietly, he sneaked up to the door and peeked inside. A group of scientist were deeply engaged in watching their prototype warriors battle two Autobots.

"Rodimus and Wheeljack?" Darren whispered. A shudder ran up his spine when he heard a pained, weak voice.

"Dn-Darreennn…"

He spun around, holding back his startled scream, but the horrific sight he came upon was enough to steal his voice.

It was Sunstreaker's head. And only his head, with a few cables connecting from his neck into the glowing spherical Spark chamber. It sat on a pedestal, hooked up to dozens of wires and cables, his expression fixed into one of pure agony. The armor and optic lens around his right eye was stripped away, revealing his bright blue optical sensory organ underneath. And that one eye was staring straight at him.

"Oh god," Darren gasped. "Sunstreaker?"

"Puhlease," Sunstreaker's garbled voice coughed through his battered vocoder, though his lips did not move. "Kill me!"

XXXXXX

Rodimus and Wheeljack were both in similar states of shock as one of the clone cars began to transform on its own. Unlike the natural, fluid transformations of normal cybertronians, this conversion was rigid and mechanical, lacing the quick fluidity of a natural transformation. Within seconds, a 15 foot replica of Sunstreaker stood in front of them, similar to the actual Autobot in almost every way, but its head had a cold, dead expression with red eyes.

Another surprise came when the clone reached up and plucked off its head!

"What the hell?!" Rodimus exclaimed.

The headless clone placed the head on the ground, and it too transformed into a smaller humanoid form-a man clad in some strange exo-armor that was once the larger mech's head.

"What are you?" Wheeljack whispered in awe and horror.

"Headmasters," The man smirked. "In evolutionary terms, the next step. Which makes you two surplus requirements!"

XXXXXX

Darren felt sick. He never saw a cybertronian, friend or foe, dismembered in such a manner this gruesome. Even Skyquake's death was quick and clean, merciful some would say considering the circumstances. Blinking back tears and keeping himself from retching, Darren tried to stay focused.

"S-Sunstreaker, how are you still alive?" Darren asked. Sunstreaker tried to speak, but all that came out was a digital drawl. "Sunny, stay with me here!"

"Suh-sorry, Darrennn. Difficult to-to…focus." Sunstreaker said in his broken speech. "They're…in my head. DD."

Why? What have they done to you?" He asked. "To me?"

"Suh-some kind of new t-tech. Human-mech hy-hy-"

"Hybrid?"

"Yuh. Har-hardwired into my neural p-processor. Call themselves…headmasters."

"Head-is that what I am? a headmaster?" Darren choked back a sob. "Gaia help me. Do I…change?"

"Yuh." Sunstreaker answered. "Into muh-my head. They're b-building ann…army. Using me as the…hub. Squeezing my mind."

"I heard Aries say Barricade's name. Is he…?"

"Theyyy-have him, tooooo. Making army of him, but ha-hahaving difficulty. Trouble wo-wo-working with dead brainnnn."

Darren quickly ducked under the window when one of the scientists glanced his way. He cursed and scooted out of sight into the corner. Okay, right." He breathed. "So what do we do?"

"Kuh-kill me." He pleaded. Darren turned to him with horrified eyes.

"No," Darren said firmly. "I won't accept that. There must be another option. Some way to fight back."

"Pwlease. I…just…want. This. To. Stop." Sunstreaker begged, a tear of energon leaking from his single operating eye. "They're all in here, uuusing me…to hunt, to hurt other Autobots! And this…is just the beginning!"

"I'm not killing you, Sunny. Not when I can save you. We're both going back to our families after this. I promise you." Darren looked at his armor, which looked like a demonic version of Sunstreaker's face. "The only way we both get out of here is together. Sunstreaker, they tried to make me into a weapon, and they already have dozens of clone bodies down here, I've seen them."

Darren took a deep breath and looked up at the dismembered Autobot. "Teach me…teach me how to be a headmaster."

XXXXXX

Headmasters were a special breed of cybertronian. They were born as mechanoids able to detach their heads, which operate as separate beings and are the true heart of their larger bodies, called transectors. They were an oddity before the war, and their numbers declined following the outbreak of hostilities.

What OZ had done with Sunstreaker was a perverted version of headmaster biology. It appalled Rodimus and Wheeljack, who had friends who were true headmasters like Brainstorm and Chromedome. But Rodimus hid his disgust with witty taunts.

"Headmasters? Now I've seen everything." He smirked. "I mean, I can see how you'd want to cover up all that fleshy vulnerability, but really! It'd be laughable if it weren't so tragic."

Wheeljack's back armor panel slid apart and one if his shoulder cannons extended from its compartment. He looked to Rodimus, who signaled him to wait.

"In a way, it's ironic you should have picked Sunstreaker to model yourself on. Because, well, this is the ultimate vanity!" Rodimus continued. "Plain fact is, all the cosmetic surgery in the world won't make you him."

"You're wrong…Rodimus of Nyon!" Agent Kloss grinned. "Actually, we're everything he was. More in fact! And thanks to him, we know all there is to know about both of you!"

"Well, see, I'm not sure. My friend here, Wheeljack he's something of a tinkerer. Always inventing some new bit of weaponry or gadget." Rodimus smirked. "And Sunstreaker, well, let's just say he's somewhat lax when it comes to reading the memos. I'm willing to bet he's never heard of a gyro-inhibitor shell."

Rodimus snapped his fingers and Wheeljack fired the shell from his cannon. It exploded over Kloss and his transector, raining down tiny sparks upon him. These sparks were in fact tiny EMP nanobots that disrupted electrical objects on contact. To Kloss, when his transector's neural signals were disrupted, the psychic link shared between the two caused a strong disruption in his equilibrium. When headmaster and transector fell over, that's when the Autobots made their move.

"Move it, Jackie!" Rodius reverted to his car form with Wheeljack and sped past the other two headmasters.

"We're running?"

"For now. We have a deadline, remember?"

"Right, Ironhide." Wheeljack sighed. "We've got 60 minutes."

"Then let's roll!"

XXXXXX

"These headmasters," Darren said. "They look like you and think like you."

"Yuh."

"And that's because at this stage of the process, they're hardwired into your head."

"Yuh."

"So, Sunstreaker," Darren flipped a lever to reveal a pod inside. "Room for one more?"

"Hehn. Why not?" Sunstreaker replied. "Whuhddabout youuu? Puh-point of nh-no return…"

Darren looked at his body. "Yeah, I know. But we have no choice. OZ must be stopped."

He walked over to the pod and looked it over nervously. "What do I do now?"

"Juhst…get in. Puh-process is auto-muh-muh-mated from hrh on in…"

"Okay." Darren got into the pod and waited anxiously. "A-anything else I should know?"

"Yuh. Iht's painful."

"Oh great!" Darren gulped as clamps fastened around his waist and a helmet was fitted onto his head. "No he tells me-AAAAAHHHHH!"

Darren's complaints melted into a scream as he felt his mind mesh with Sunstreaker through a painful procedure that felt like his entire brain was being electrocuted. Thoughts were exchanged, minds melded, memories were shared, and from it came a new breed of human.

XXXXXX

It was 7:53 when the pair of Autobots made it to the car lot. They spent tie than what was needed losing the headmasters, and even then they couldn't be sure that they were free. It was two against three.

"Did we lose them?" Wheeljack asked.

"Can't afford to assume so." Rodimus said, using the tasers in his headlights to break open the gate. "But neither can we afford to do more than we've done to shake them off. Ironhide's scheduled for the presses first thing, so we need to get him out of here, fast!"

The two Autobots drove into the lot, where Wheeljack encountered another problem. "I can't seem to get a GPS echo. Didn't Ratchet say he had it locked in?"

"Yeah, Wheeljack, he did. Funny thing is, we haven't heard a thing from him this entire time, let alone the GPS locator pulse."

"Oh boy." Wheeljack's scanners surveyed the huge area they had to deal with. Rows upon rows of scrapped cars in neat little piles. "Look lively, Hot Rod, we've got a lot of ground to cover."

South of the lot, Kloss and his team were still searching for their prey, who had surprisingly managed to elude them within the city.

"Well?" He asked.

"Command central has them making this turn on the local surveillance. Then…gone."

"Spread out. Work the grid. Keep in touch at all times." Kloss growled. "Find them."

The headmasters split up in search of the two Autobots, ready to gain more kills for their lord Aries.

Meanwhile, said Autobots had also separated to cover more ground. Then Rodimus had an idea. "I just realized something. If Ironhide was scheduled for the presses first thing this morning, chances are that's where he is, ready and waiting. I'm on my way there now."

" _Roger, Rodimus, I'll see you the-"_

A loud explosion over the comm nearly made Rodimus jump out of his alt mode. "Wheeljack? Wheeljack, are you all right?"

"I'd worry less about him and more about your own predicament!" Kloss drove around the corner and stopped in front of Rodimus's only other exit. "You're alone, isolated and you have me on your case. I move faster, think faster. Anything you can do, I can do ten times better. It's been fun watching you squirm, but it ends here!"

"Then shut up and bring it!" Rodimus shouted and made his engine roar, flames spewing out of his exhaust. "The only reason I've been putting up with you freaks is because you're only a secondary priority. But since you tried to torch my friend, all bets are off! Let's see who blinks first!"

Rodimus and Kloss drove straight at each other at full speed. Kloss fired two rockets, but Rodimus easily shot them down with the machine guns in his headlights. Neither warrior slowed down as they neared each other, almost nose to nose, waiting to see who bailed out first…and Kloss lost the battle of wills. He tried to turn at the last minute, but Rodimus slmmed into him hard enough to send him flying onto his hood, crashing into a car pile upside down. Rodimus transformed part of his arm and fired a volley of electrostatic blasts that blew the headmaster, and Kloss, up on contact.

"Amateur." Rodimus sniffed. He cursed when two missiles hit the ground near him and he was on the run again. "For Prime's sake, what you bozos lack in quality, you make up for in quantity!"

XXXXXX

"Ow. Ow. Ow!" Darren stumbled out of the pod, holding his aching head. He hissed and poked the helmet attached to his skull. "You weren't kidding when you said it would hurt. But…other than the headache, I don't feel any-"

He froze when a scientist walked in, looking down at his clipboard. When he looked up and saw a clearly unhypnotized and unrestrained esper boy up and about, he slammed his hand on the emergency alarm near the door. Without thinking, Darren rushed forward and punched the man hard enough to send him crashing through the door and into a wall, possibly breaking his back on impact.

"Whoa. Did I do that?" Darren looked at his hands. He barely realized what he was doing before it was over, and he wasn't even using his powers. "Or was that you? Or bother of us?" Sunstreaker made a garbled nose, but Darren understood his meaning. "Yeah, that's what I thought. But now that that's over, let's scram!"

Darren ran out of the room and down the halls, following the directions he memorized to the factory level. He heard soldiers marching down the halls and Darren made sure to create as many barricades as possible before sprinting toward the manufacturing plant. He skidded to a stop in front of the lined up transectors and took a deep breath.

"Here you are." He panted. "I hope this headmaster thing works."

XXXXXX

"What do you mean the boy escaped?!" Aries shouted. "I thought his reconditioning was a success!"

"Well, obviously it wasn't." Pisces replied, annoyed at this unfortunate development as well. "Apparently, he's also linked himself to the Autobot and now he's in the bodyshop."

"That boy's head is mine!" Aries snarled and marched towards the door, but was stopped by Pisces. "Don't start with me, Pisces!"

"Stop acting like a brute and act like a general of Our Lady's noble order." Pisces hissed. "If you started blasting away at him, then you'll destroy everything we've worked for, for almost a year in a single day! Don't let him get to you."

Aries took a deep breath and asked in a calmer tone, "And what do you suggest we do?"

"I've ordered all exits to be sealed and posted extra talos guards around the perimeter." He said. "The body has no training in being a headmaster and he'll have nowhere to go. He's trapped."

"You two boys and your runaway toys." Thornment chuckled, walked past them. "The human has already served his purpose. The resources invested in him have not been entirely wasted. I'll kill the boy myself and we can focus on more important matters."

Down below, Darren stood in front of the transector trying to get it to move. "Come on! I know I'm a headmaster on some level, I'm Sunstreaker as well, but I can feel someone interfering."

He felt the ground shake, lightly at first, but the tremors slowly increased in pace, scaring Darren. "Please work. Please work!" He gritted his teeth. "I know this can work if I don't-"

A large form smashed through the wall and Darren screamed as Thornment entered the room, stomping toward him.

"Panic!" He squeaked.

XXXXXX

"Looks like you bozos just downgraded from serious threat to rank amateur in no time at all!" Rodimus said. He kept ramming a headmaster in the side until it crashed into a broken down van and exploded. "Whatever edge you guys had is gone!"

It was true. Unknown to Rodimus, the scientists were unhooking Sunstreaker's head back at the central base, causing the increased reflexes and psychic link they shared to be interrupted. This affected not only Darren, but the Hunter team as well, who found their combat capabilities drastically.

Which spelled trouble for headmaster warrior Reese, who was forced to resort to fighting Rodimus in bipedal mode to avoid getting turned into a trash compactor by the Autobot. He manage to force the Autobot to take cover with his plasma fire as he called the regional base for help.

"Headmaster Reese to OZ central. Respond! What's the situation?" He called in. "I'm getting psychic interference on my end-agh!"

Reese cried out as two missiles and multiple rockets tore him apart from behind. A modified Apache Longbow appeared in the sky above them and fired another volley of rockets that blew the already dead transector apart.

"That's right!" Rodimus yelled at the dead clone. "Get slagged!"

"Rodimus? What's going on here?" Tomahawk flew closer to the ground and switched forms. "And did I just kill some bot that looked like Sunstreaker?"

"First-I love ya babe, you saved my tailpipe." Rodimus said. "Second-this is a really long story that I'll tell you about later. Third-Wheeljack and Ironhide need help ASAP!"

"Um, okay?" Tomahawk blinked.

XXXXXX

Staring death in the face in its various forms was something that Darren was becoming all to accustomed to since getting dragged into the Autobot/Decepticon war. but this was a predicament only a miracle could help him out of.

"You don't look so strong, boy. But of course, you must feel empowered after fighting brutes like Aries and Pisces." Thornment cackled.

"Shut up and tell your masters that I'm slave to no one!" Darren shouted. Then he realized the trick he was missing. "Duh! Head. Master. Of course!"

Something clicked at the back of his mind and Darren felt his body collapse into a crouch, the armor he was wearing folding together and snapping in place. In a split second, the head of Sunstreaker sat on the floor in front of Thornment…totally defenseless.

"This is wired!" Sunstreaker's voice said as his personality took over.

"You finally learned how to transform! Good for you, you learned something a protoforms could do in it's sleep!" She whipped her heat rods at the head, but it was snatched up before it was smashed by the powerful weapon.

One of the transectors jumped back from another whipped strike before attaching its head to the hard point on its neck. Sunstreaker gained control on his clone body and groaned.

'Moving feels like an effort and it shouldn't!' Sunstreaker thought. 'Whatever those bastards are doing to the real me, it's…slowing me down!'

Die, Autobot!" Thornment transformed to her fighter mode and unfolded to fire her particle beam, almost hitting Sunstreaker in the chest.

"Yow!" Sunstreaker instinctively transformed to car mode and sped around Thornment as he drove to the other side of the room. "You'll forgive us if we're not privy to giving a slag about you, you crazy glitch! You're not just dealing with old flesh and blood Darren Radcliffe anymore!"

Sunstreaker fired a missile and blew out the wall, driving out the hole and landing hard on the ground. "We're-I'm Sunstreaker! And I'm out!"

Thornment flew outside, but the Autobot was already speeding out of the courtyard, firing another missile in her direction to hold her back. She stumbled back as it hit her chest and the Autobot crashed through the gates to freedom.

"Well," She remarked. "That's just unfortunate."

XXXXXX

Rebecca and Joshua Red watched along with a group of Skywatch scientists and technicians as a large crane slowly loaded the still frozen body of Grimlock into the massive testing facility. As some of the other agents gazed up at the goliath in awe, Rebecca and Joshua were having a tense discussion.

"I can't do it, Red. Not on such short notice!" She said. "We've got two Skywatch mechanoids unaccounted for and you're asking me to fast-track another? I need more time!"

"We're out of time, Howard. Its war and we need warriors!" Red said. "Just two hours ago, we've got another battle between aliens the aliens in Xing that destroyed a town in the countryside. We can't hang back anymore."

"Then let me at least attempt to make contact with one of the factions. We know this is a civil war, so just allow me to-"

"No! Powers told me about your plan and it's too risky." He cut her off. "For all we know, they could just be fighting over who gets to torch us first."

Rebecca bristled. "You don't know that!"

"Neither do you." He glared at her. "We need to show these beings that humanity will not submit to extraterrestrial aggressors. If we don't show out strength, benevolent or not, they'll stomp all over us."

He glared up at Grimlock as if all this was his fault. "Whatever the risks, we have to take them. One thing I know for sure, we can't rely on anyone coming to our aid!"

Rebecca sighed and looked at Grimlock. As he passed by them, she could see her reflection in his red visor…and the primal rage hidden behind them.

* * *

 **That's it for the first arc of the final part. Up next, we'll get into the prelude to the Dynobot's story arc, then hit the finale afterwards following the craziness that'll follow. I'll be updating Distant Stars next to keep an eye out for that! Thanks for reading and please leave a review (seriously, they're addictive).**


	38. A Rude Awakening

Chapter 38-A Rude Awakening

Thanks to Tomahawk's timely intervention, Rodimus was able to retrieve both Wheeljack and Ironhide from the automobile "graveyard". Both Autobots were resting in the medibay while Rodimus took the time to explain to everyone what he had encountered. The horrified reactions he got after explaining just what they did to Sunstreaker didn't surprise him one bit once he finished.

"Headmasters? Oz may headmasters from Sunstreaker?" Arcee gasped.

"Just when you think they couldn't sink any lower." Bulkhead grumbled. Rodimus nodded.

"Whatever they did to Sunny, they were very thorough with it. Their firepower, their reflexes, their battle instincts, it all seemed amplified." He said. "And they've copied his frame to the letter, even copying his built-in weaponry!"

"What really worries me is what they know." Prowl said, his deep frown the only sign of his concern of this pressing issue. "That agent knew your names without either of you having spoken it. They're making man-made cybertronians with seasoned soldiers psychically connected to Sunstreaker in some way. Possibly gleaning this information from his mind directly."

"But doesn't that mean he's alive? Along with Darren?" Moonracer asked. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Moonracer, what Prowl means is that if they were able to learn Rodimus and Wheeljack's name, then it's possible that they've learned everything else about him as well." Optimus, who had been silent for the entire session, said. "They know about his past, his friends, likes, dislikes, where he's been…and they may even know the exact location of the Ark."

No one said a thing as the implications settled in. The Ark's location was possibly compromised and they couldn't do much about the ship since moving it was a pipe dream at this point.

"Should we pack up and set up shop someplace else?" Jetfire suggested. "Cause we're screwed otherwise."

"And leave the Ark? Not an option. This ship in stuck here, and if OZ takes control of the Ark, nothing will stop them from gaining control of Terra as a secret world power. The resources here alone will make them to powerful." Prowl said. "But that's only if they try to actually invade us, which is suicide with all the weapons we still have operational."

"They wouldn't try to actually storm the Ark, would they?" Bumblebee asked worriedly.

"No, at least, not before they captured Sunstreaker." Ironhide said. "Now…all bets are off."

"Ratchet, have Teletran-1 set up security measures. I want Liftor and Rollbar manning the sat systems for any local anomalies in the area." Optimus ordered. "From now on, we take mission in pairs. Any encounters with OZ are to be met with extreme prejudice. They aren't taking prisoners anymore."

Optimus's ominous words hammered in how serious things were getting. Oz was entering their endgame and everyone had to be working on all cylinders.

XXXXXX

The closer they got to zero hour, the more nervous Rebecca Howard got. Looking at the metal goliath, she saw scientists and technicians running last minute checks on the NBE designated as Thunder Lizard-1-Simmons came up with the codename, and it made her hate him even more.

Bad codenames aside, Rebecca had serious reservations about running a test run on the more advanced neural "leash" used to potentially control Thunder Lizard-1. She hated being the head of a project that could potentially end badly for everyone, and she made her reservations known.

"Are we ready to proceed doctor?" Agent Red asked.

"Ready as we'll ever be, but I'm going to say this again," She stared at the frozen cybertronian. "You're playing with fire. Procedures that took 2 months to perfect and were tailored specifically to the two initial acquisitions have had to be overhauled and reapplied in days. One false move now, Agent Red, and disasters. We just need more time-"

"We have no more time." Red cut in. "You've seen what's happening out there, Howard. Terra has become a battleground for robotic extraterrestrials, and now whatever covert methods they were enacting are being made obsolete. We have to assume they won't just patiently bide their time. A full-fledged confrontation is coming and we have to arm ourselves."

Rebecca frowned, and Red placed a hand on her shoulder. "I appreciate all your concerns. I share your misgivings, but this comes straight from the top. We need a big, blunt instrument," He pointed at Grimlock. "And this is it!"

Rebecca held back her real feelings on the meter. She tried convincing Bancheck to let her contact one of the alien factions, more specifically the ones with the red insignia, but Powers had whispered in his ear and stonewalled any suggestions involving making open contact. He also gave a less than subtle warning that trying any unauthorized messages would result in her immediate termination from the group and imprisonment for insubordination. Everyone seemed more concerned with killing all the aliens instead of focusing on the openly hostile ones that required their attention, but Rebecca knew that things were escalating too quickly for them to play it safe.

"Fine. Have it your way. But we've already got two rogues out there-somewhere-and I'm sure neither of us wants a third." She told him. "Thunder Lizard-1 has a higher grade of neural net, so we've had to introduce a far more complex inhibitor web. It should hold, but in terns of our available technology, we're still akin to cave men handling fusion rods."

"How soon?"

"Like I said, we're as ready as we can hope to be right now. But Agent Red, I'd have your mobile armor teams standing by." She turned to one of the head technicians on the project. "Status?"

"We are showing complete neural overprint-synapse blockers are all present and correct."

"Internal readings are stabilizing." Another scientist reported. "TL-1's systems are starting to metabolize the plutonium stimulant."

"We are going to jumpstart the cognitive functions."

'Here we go!' Rebecca thought and looked at Red. "Agent Red?"

The Skywatch senior officer took a deep breath and nodded. "Do it."

XXXXXX

Stasis lock was akin to a cybertronian coma. A dreamless sleep brought about from heavy damages too severe for the conscious mind to handle. All but the most vital functions shut down as the body redirects its energy to repair itself. Few remembered anything while being in stasis lock, aside from a disembodied feeling of floating in darkness.

This was no different for Grimlock, who had been in stasis lock longer than even the Ark and Nemesis teams that crashed after him on Terra. It was something like being in a deep sleep for him and Grimlock appreciated having a decent recharge…until he was reawakened by the unsuspecting Skywatch scientists.

A strong surge of energy ran through his body, supercharging his long dormant circuitry, assaulting sensitive neural circuit boards that brought him back to life. This sudden jolt jump-started his brain, and with it, brought back a lot of recent memories for Grimlock. None of them good.

" _I'm warning you, Grimlock!"_ Optimus Prime's voice rang in his head. " _This continued insubordination will not be tolerated. Any further action will be considered an act of a renegade and dealt with accordingly!"_

Another jolt brought another memory.

" _Forget Prime. He may not like the way we do things, but he knows we get results. The way it works is, he says one thing-officially-and we do the other unofficially."_ Grimlock said to his Dynobots. " _Trust me, there'll be no fallout."_

" **You deceived us! Lied to us!"**

" **Led us into the maelstrom…and killed us!"**

Images of a battle flashed through his mind's eye. He and his team battling a powerful enemy. A mountain spewing fire, the ground breaking apart. Fire and heat all around him…a searing pain…rage.

XXXXXX

In the control center, alerts were popping up on all monitors, showing various errors. Agent Red and Howard were filled with dread as the worst possible scenario occurred.

"Doctor Howard, something's wrong! Encephialo graphic readings just went through the roof!"

"Shit! Cut the power to the main kinostatic emitters, now!" She yelled through the radio. "Before-"

A ferocious roar tore through the building as Grimlock's red visor came to life and he suddenly came alive. He thrashed his big, powerful arms, smashing apart the scaffoldings and sending many on site workers falling and flying in different directions.

"Cryo-squad, move in!" The MA unit leader ordered. The twelve man talos squad moved in and started shooting streams of pure liquid nitrogen at Grimlock's legs to immobilize him. "The rest of you, target the hostile, but await executive clearance! Do not, I repeat, do not open fire!"

Grimlock didn't even look their way s he stomped his foot and sent the men flying, breaking apart the floor like glass. Joshua watched the mech from the observation deck as he tore apart the talos with his bare hands and swung his arms, smashing apart more expensive equipment with ease.

"Status, damn it!" He shouted. "Howard, TL-1 is mobile. How is this possible?"

"I don't know!" Rebecca yelled, checking the status of the neural clamps on their subject. "Nothing's working. All the cerebro-checks and auto-prompt filters just…burned out en masse. I can't establish control."

Joshua gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. "All tactical units…fire at will!"

The talos units fired on Grimlock with HEAT rounds and kinetic shells designed to destroy other talos with maximum efficiency. Too bad Grimlock was ten times stronger than the average terran mecha. He wasn't fazed by the bullets pelting his armor and glared at them, giving a savage growl. He slammed his fists into the ground and began to transform.

Agent Red, Howard, and the science team all watched in awe as Grimlock's hulking form reconfigured into a giant beast just as powerful and fearsome-a tyrannosaurus rex!

Rushing forward, he tore through the Murphy talos like they were tin foil, slamming into the wall and crashing into the next room. Another demolished wall finally led Grimlock outside, where he ran towards freedom, leaving behind a trail of destruction, destroyed robots and dead men and women in his wake.

"Oh my god," Rebecca gasped. "We barely slowed him down."

"This is a disaster!" Her partner, Doctor Weston cried out. "What do we do now that he's out?!"

"We don't panic. Sanitize the facility, strip out anything and everything." Red said. "Then find out what went wrong and how to fix it."

Rebecca spun around in shock and anger. "Fix it? Did you not see what just happened? One of our assets just killed half the people here and marched out the front door without as much as a scratch! I told you we were cave men handling fusion rods!"

"And I'm telling you this thing can't be allowed to just wander off." He replied firmly. "Weston, get me a progress report on Thunder Lizards 2, 3, 4, and 5."

Rebecca growled and pushed past Red. Great, yet another mess she had to clean up. With people like him in charge of "planetary" defense, Terra was screwed ten ways from Sunday. Unseen by her or Red, one of the security personnel grinned and slipped out the door into the staircase. He quietly made his way to the rec room, where he made a private call.

"It's Kloss. What you said would happen, just happened." He said. "Yes. I've already purged the virus. There'll be no trace when they scan-analyze the system. As for TL-1, he's yours for the taking!"

On the other line, the Zodiac Pisces grinned.

XXXXXX

Grimlock charged without purpose, without distinction. He had no idea where he was…or what time it was either. Once the red haze of his abrupt awakening faded, he was left with a thousand questions and no answers.

He saw dozens of tiny organic bipeds running out of his path. Cars were crushed, footprint shaped craters left in his wake, and entire roads were turning into potch-marked, un-drivable stretches of asphalt and concrete. The little creatures ran away from him in fear, but he could care less. What he was concerned about was the situation he was currently in.

The last thing he remembered was fighting the ancient Seeker, Sprawl. The Con was beating his team down in a field of ultra-high levels of energon, and Grimlock had initiated a fall-back plan he had in case his team lost. A volcanic eruption followed by tons of exploding energon had nearly killed them all, but apparently he was in stasis lock, and he spent all this time repairing his body.

"H-how long?" Grimlock asked himself. His vocoder was a bit rusty from centuries of disuse. "Where…Dynobots?"

He stomped onto a playground, causing parents and their children to go running for the hills to avoid getting stomped on. He paused to get a scope of his surroundings, but the little barely noticeable stinging he felt from the police shooting at him made him growl.

"Looks like I'm scaring the local ants.' He thought. he would've tore those little scraplets apart, but this wasn't the time.

He snorted hot steam from his nostrils and continued on his way, stomping past a school in his path. The teachers and students jumped in their seats as a giant robot dinosaur rushed past the building, nearly sending it jumping in place. Grimlock had no idea where he was going, and his attention wasn't focused on the damage he was accusing. He was still wondering who reactivated him. His internal chronometer was a contradictory mess. Sensor range limited. All he had was a recall chip to whisk him back to his ship, the Grimstone.

If it was still in one piece. Chances are, its orbit decayed long ago and he'll materialize within a burning, twisted ruin. As Grimlock stood atop a hill outside a town, he made a heart wrenching realization.

He was alone.

Utterly alone.

XXXXXX

"Hmm," Inside an airship, Pisces and Thornment watched the drone footage of Grimlock stomping across the landscape down below. "Where is he going?"

"Honestly, sir, I doubt he knows…or cares." One of the pilot's said. "His current course, however, will bring him to the Lorincha Dam."

"Then that is where I will introduce myself." Thornment said.

"You want to face that beast alone?" Pisces asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Grimlock is one of the strongest Autobots in Prime's army. Even you won't stand a chance against him, let alone the upgraded Zygarts and Orions." She said. "Not in open confrontation at least."

"What do you intend to do?"

Recruit him to our case. In his position, he has no other choice by to accept my offer."

XXXXXX

Grimlock stood on the edge of a fast moving river near the Larincha Damn. Back in robot mode, he gazed at the rushing waters doing the one thing he wasn't adept at-contemplating.

He was a force of nature. He tended to simply go at things, removing obstacles rather than going around them. Planning was more Swoop's thin, but this was a whole new scenario.

"This is bad." He told himself. No back-up. No intel. No real idea even of whom or what he was up against. This was an oddity for the mech who actually prided himself on teamwork.

He had to wonder if anyone came looking for them. Were they just counted as casualties of war, their names inscribed on some ebonite memorial, and now just faded, distant memories? Grimlock doubted it. The Dynobots, for all their battlefield prowess, weren't most well-liked bots on the Autobot force. He wouldn't be surprised if Optimus threw a party the minute they were deemed MIA.

Grimlock shook his head. "Enough thinking. I just have to move forward. I can take anything this tiny planet can throw at me."

There was a bright flash behind him and Grimlock drew his energo-sword, which unfolded and hummed with energy as he spun around to decapitate the poor bastard that chose to sneak up on him right then and there. To his surprise, his blade sliced through a tree instead of a person.

"Hold, Grimlock," Thornment walked up to him, her hands raised to show she was unarmed. "I mean you know harm."

"Says you!" Grimlock growled. "Who are you?"

"I am Thornment of the Order." She said. "Here to make you an offer you can't refuse."

"Try me."

"Ha! Direct and to the point-I admire that, Grimlock. We're quite alike, you and I. We both operate on the fringes, neither bowing to convention or protocol. To us, allegiance is a convenience, not an obligation. Which is why," She held out her hand. "I propose an alliance. You and me-against the world!"

Grimlock stared at her. "You can't be serious."

"Before you refuse, consider your current position. You're a rogue, you know that? You're on data file B-341-101 on Ultra Magnus' hit list of wanted cybertronians. There's no going back." She chuckled. "Your Dynobots are long gone, dead and buried, and you're stuck here on an alien world with the Decepticons poised to ignite Armageddon."

"And you?" Grimlock asked. "What's your position?"

"I've allied myself with a group of like minded individuals who plan on inciting a revolution of their own and bringing about a new world order, here on Terra. But it's not yet ripe enough to unveil its scale or intent." She edged a bit closer to him. "You're an outcast among your Autobots, Grimlock, but in the Order, bots like you are more than welcome. All we need you to do is delay the Autobots and Decepticons long enough for OZ to make their move."

Grimlock was quiet. He was still trying to process what she told him. He was a wanted criminal now, all but disowned by the Autobots. That did eliminate a lot of options for him. But this femme…she didn't sound very sane to him.

"Come on, Grimlock." Thornment pushed him. "Are you that stubborn, that mired in outmoded notions of loyalty that you're willing to isolate yourself so totally and utterly? Why do you even hesitate?"

Grimlock's blood red optic visor stared into her yellow eyes. "Because I just remembered… the name of the cult that leveled my home city back on Cybertron because they executed one of your members for extortion and bribery."

Thornment froze. Indeed, the Order had laid siege to Simfur due to the population raising a hand against one of their own. Seeking to teach them a lesson, Ember had led the assault herself and the destruction of the city was total. Was Grimlock…?

"W-what? That-that was nothing." She stammered.

"True." He agreed. Then he swung his fist and punched Thornment in the chest, knocking her back away from the river bank and crashing through a couple of trees. Grimlock chuckled and stomped forward. "I know about your Order. Your little cult has caused lots of problems for both Autobots and Decepticons. Killed lots of people before and during the war. Now think; if I returned to Cybertron with a high-ranking Order member ready for Spark isolation, I wonder what kind of reward I'd get? They'd most likely tear up my warrants and give me a hero's welcome!"

He swung his sword and released a wave of energy that tore up the ground and blasted Thornment off her feet. "The business with Simfur was just some extra motivation!"

"I offer you a world-or at least a share of it-and you throw it back in my face?" Thornment hissed. "You're just like the beast whose form you mimic, too big, too stupid to ever change! Even if it means extinction!"

She transformed into her aircraft mode and opened up to reveal her particle beam cannon. She unleashed multiple particle beams on Grimlock, and he deflected most of them with his sword, displaying a surprising amount of speed in his movements. He slowly got closer to Thornment as he blocked her beam attacks and, once he was close, raised his sword to cut her down. But a vine snagged his arms from behind, pulling them behind his back and leaving him open to a beam that hit the center of his chest.

"You are a warrior of great intensity and resolve, Grimlock, but as a strategist you are sadly deficient." Thornment said, stabbing her heat rods into the ground and drawing energy from the plant life around her. "Still, as a warrior, I will grant you a warrior's death!"

Storing the energy she absorbed, Thornment charged up another particle beam and fired a much stronger beam at Grimlock, who managed to move his body to allow it to shoot over his shoulder. Unfortunately, the beam exploded behind him, nearly burning the metal off his back and blew him onto his front.

"I'm going to tear you apart!" Grimlock roared.

Grimlock pushed himself up and slammed his fists into the ground, smoothly shifting into his T-Rex mode and charged at Thornment. Opening his mouth, he fired a large stream of intense flames at her that forced her to fly back, shifting into robot mode and clenched her fists. Vines erupted from the ground and ensnared Grimlock, tightening around his neck and legs. Thornment performed a hand motion that increased their pressure on him, digging the sharp thorns into his armor.

"You never stood a chance. You're a powerhouse, but you're low on energon and you're utterly powerless in a long range fight. You may be strong, but I am fast." Thornment said. "And I have the powers of my gods on my side!"

Grimlock couldn't move. The vines continued to squeeze him without letting up, and he could feel his armor creaking from the strain. If he didn't do something soon, he was going to get quartered by a motor-mouthed femme with a thing for pointy flowers!

The image of his Dynobots flashed through his mind. Fierce, loyal, unwavering in their commitment to whatever course of action he initiated. And he betrayed them without a second thought. Activating a back-up plan that could've killed them all without any regard for their opinions on it. All it granted them was a pyrrhic victory.

Grimlock gritted his teeth in frustration. He wasn't going to die here. Not without knowing what happened to his team, to make his peace. Thornment was spouting slag. If he survived, chances are that the other could have too. So, against every primal instinct not to, Grimlock mentally triggered the recall chip.

"No," Thornment growled as Grimlock's form glowed before vanished from her grasp. "NO!"

XXXXXX

For a split second, Grimlock thought he was going to end up dead for his gamble. But to his surprise, he reappeared within an intact chamber-the Grimstone was completely intact!

"Home." Grimlock grumbled. It was the closest thing to a home he had-a place where he and his Dynobots had their various adventures, scraps, team moments, a place where they could act freely without judgment.

Checking the ship's sensors, he saw that the Grimstone was buried in ice and the surface was not in detection range. He survived the recall, but the ship was buried too deep to be operational.

"I'm going to find my friends," Grimlock vowed, clenching his massive fists. "And then I'm going to tear Thornment and OZ apart!"

XXXXXX

"That fragging brute!" Thornment raged as she kicked over an unused transector. "He brags about his strength and he has the gall to run?! I'll rip his saurian head in two!"

"I take it your battle didn't go well?" Pisces said as he walked into the room.

"Don't start with me, Pisces." She sneered.

"Just curious." He said, backing up a bit. "And could you please not beat up on the transectors? They're expensive, and a pain to manufacture in such a short time."

"Why do you care? These clones couldn't even beat two Autobots."

"Only because the boy was interfering with the psychic link. I'm having Aries transport the Autobot hub to my main headquarters in Tampa. Chances are they will seek his head, and we cannot have that distraction right now."

Thornment noted the edge in Pisces' voice. "Are we mobilizing now?"

"Yes," Pisces answered curtly. "Aries has given the order to launch the invasion in seven days."

"And what about Grimlock?"

"My mole in Skywatch informed me that they're in the process of moving the mechs designated Thunder Lizards 2, 3, 4, and 5 to a forward operational facility. I'll let those so-called planetary defenders think they have Swoop, Slag, Snarl, and Sludge under their control, when we are really pulling the strings."

Thornment chuckled. "What a fitting way to end Grimlock-torn apart by the tooth and claw of his fellow Dynobots!"

* * *

 **Next up we'll get the first chapter of Maximum Dynobots. I literally started typing this today, and just got finished, so yeah, I'm excited to get into the thick of things. Thanks to reading, and please leave a review!**


	39. Maximum Dinobots part 1

Chapter 39-Maximum Dinobots part 1

Grimlock, Slag, Swoop, Sludge, Snarl. Together they were the Dynobots-a semi-autonomous unit within the larger Autobot war machine. The more insane the mission, the dirtier the job, the more they liked it. It wasn't a stretch to say that as beast formers, the Dynobots were more beast than bot, and relished the primal thrill every battle gave them. And, if, sometimes they sidestepped the chain of command and went on their own sweet way…the end justified the means. Of course, it couldn't last. Their motto was "crash and burn".

But Grimlock never thought it would end like this.

The Dynobot leader stood on the edge of the Franz Josef glacier in Eldia, South Island, looking down at his uncovered ship, the Grimstone. He spent the last few days using the ship's onboard weapons to blast away the thick ice burying it, and now he was finally done. If only the damn ship wasn't beyond repair.

Grimlock assessed his current situation. Stranded on a dismal speck of a planet called Terra, the fate of his teammate uncertain. His ship unable to even lift off the ground. stuck in a beast mode unsuited to anything on this planet thanks to his crippled T-cog (Swoop did say it was going to screw them over one day). Marked as a renegade-or worse-a deserter by those he once deemed comrades in arms. Hunted by Thornment, a psychotic religious cultist who offered him lackey status in some deranged revolution and was turned down flat. Now she and her new friends want him silenced…permanently.

To top it off, Terra was staring down Armageddon-with Megatron poised to take the planet by force. Grimlock sighted, letting loose a deep rumble in his chest. Really, how much worse can it get?

XXXXXX

'I wonder whose bright idea was it to stage the testing operation in a closed down theme park.' Rebecca thought as she and Agent Joshua Red stood on the catwalk overlooking the park's dinosaur exhibition.

Down below were the two targets to be used as cannon fodder to test out their new "warriors". A decommissioned M1 Abrams tank and a silver biplane someone got from Gaia knows where. Once everything was set in place, Red gave the order for the show to begin.

"Thrill me."

"Skywatch tactical, this is Howard," She called in. "Activate Thunder Lizards 2-5. Identify targets, actualize…and engage."

On her command, the four Dynobots still stuck in stasis lock were activated remotely and mentally commanded to engage. Thunder Lizard 2, aka Slag, stomped forward in his triceratops beast mode and belched out a bright stream of intense flames at the heavily armored tank, which didn't stand a chance against the thousand degrees that began melting its armor. Thunder Lizard 3, Sludge, ran forward in his long necked brontosaurus mode and grabbed the biplane with his mouth, flinging it into the air for Thunder Lizard 4, Swoop, to fly like a shooting star and cut the plane to ribbons with his sharp, steel tip wings. Lastly, Thunder Lizard 4, Snarl, marched up to the burning wreck of the tank in stegosaurs mode and began slamming his tail into it with tremendous strength.

'I am constantly amazed at how much more powerful these beings are.' Rebecca thought, thinking back to that last memorable encounter in the caves. "Four point six seconds. All targets destroyed and zero collateral. What do you think, Red?"

"I think," He began, glaring down at the Dynobots. "We've been here before. Apparent success followed by mysterious failure. What's to say the cycle won't repeat with these four?"

'I've warned about this dozens of times before, you moron. You pushed for their deployment along with Simmons, so don't start backtracking now.' She thought scathingly, though she outwardly maintained her professional façade. "Well, we've made significant improvements to the inhibitor web. Don't ask me how, but any software kinks we've encountered in the past seemed to have, well, ironed themselves out."

The disaster that led to the loss of Grimlock had been thoroughly investigated. People were questioned, computers taken apart, inspected and put back together, and the entire system was overhauled, but nothing out of the ordinary could be found. Both Red and Howard were starting to suspect sabotage, but neither could find evidence of tampering.

"Strangely, I find that far from reassuring." Red said.

"As do I, Red. But as you've consistently informed me over the course of this mission-our orders come straight from the top." Rebecca quipped.

She was very satisfied at the glare Red gave her for her remark. That's one point for her.

XXXXXX

In his base in Dallas, Texas, Aries sat in his office contacting Pisces' little mole in Skywatch getting an update on their activities. It had only been a year when OZ learned the existence of the secret Helic organization Skywatch, which was formed around some kind of contact with a massive alien being around two centuries ago. Despite having a mole in the group, they couldn't get any more information without causing a scene, so they had to play it safe until Skywatch did something stupid, which was surprisingly often considering that not even the president was aware of their existence.

"Well?"

"The test run was a complete success. As far as they're concerned, Skywatch's little counter-alien combat unit is ready to be rolled out." Kloss reported. "Thanks to you."

"Yes. Thanks to me. How could they know that it was I who provided-via you, Kloss-the means to completely subvert/submerge the neural nets of the four Dynobots." Aries smirked. "Just as it is I who shall ensure it all go terribly wrong. Aries out."

He took a long, hard swig of his brandy and leaned back in his seat. He heard the door open and close, soft footsteps on his lush red carpet.

"How are the Barricade clones?"

"Prepped and ready to go." Scorpio answered, heading straight to the bar. "It took some effort, but Pisces and Thornment finally ironed out the kinks in the psychic link connecting them to Barricade's head. Working with a dead Decepticon brain is a lot more difficult than working with a live Autobot's."

"As long as they're combat ready, I don't care, Scorpio. We're nearing the promised day, and there are still some unaccounted wild card to deal with."

"Darren Radcliffe." Scorpio nodded. "Did you find him?"

"No, but he's been attacking our facilities all along the mid-west. Our efforts to track him haven't been very forthcoming." Aries sighed and rubbed his forehead. "And don't get me started on Skywatch."

"You'd think those fools would learn that attempting to leash the Dynobots won't work."

"They don't have a choice. The growing cybertronian war has them spooked, and when people are afraid, they make mistakes that could've been easily avoided."

"Well don't stress out over it. Hand the matter over to Thornment and focus on the real issue," Scorpio walked over to the one way mirror hiding the hidden storage area that had four dozen Sunstreaker clones, all in three different colors parked in rows of three. "Figuring out how to explain to Ophiuchus what we're all doing."

Aries frowned, annoyed that Scorpio was bringing this up again. "She'll understand when we hand her Prime and the cybertronian corpses."

"You better hope so," Scorpio sipped his whisky with a grunt. "Because neither of us wants to deal with Sagittarius or Gemini. Fucking pricks."

"Amen to that."

XXXXXX

In an entirely different state, a warehouse violently blew up from the inside, sending a mushroom cloud of flames shooting into the air and flaming debris everywhere. A yellow muscle car flew out of the flames and landed on the street, swerving around to face the burning building.

"Right," A voice said from its speakers. "Now I'm mad."

The car's hood slid open and a missile pod rose up. Two missiles were fired at the warehouse and caused an even bigger explosion that completely destroyed what few merchandise that was still intact. The deafening booms could be heard for almost a mile away.

"I know how you feel. Because, well, we feel the same stuff. Comes from sharing a brain." Darren who was sitting in Sunstreaker's driver's seat as a Holomatter avatar, sighed. "I'm sorry, this is just a bit strange, Sunstreaker. It just feels like we're talking to ourselves?"

"I suppose so. Still haven't gotten used to this whole headmaster thing. Probably never will." Sunstreaker burned metal as he drove down the street the minute the emergency forces and law enforcement arrived on the scene. He was gone before the police could spot him. "No offense, but I'm a serial "me"."

"None taken. And anyway, we didn't come up exactly empty." Darren held up a flash drive. "We have whatever is in that shadow drive we found buried in their server. If we're right, and this is another OZ front, then there may be something here we can use. At the very least, it'll signpost our next port of call."

The past few days were hard for them both. Darren and Sunstreaker had to quickly adjust to their new symbiosis. Darren was the heart of their headmaster bond, and they both knew Sunstreaker's personality was dominant so long as they were combined. And unlike the other headmaster units, Darren allowed his consciousness to come to the forefront instead of suppressing it. Without Darren, his body was just a lifeless husk of terran made metal and circuitry powered by energon.

They spent a week traveling the country, hitting suspected OZ facilities such as factories and warehouses owned by Epsilon Holdings. Darren was forced to steal food and drinks for himself (putting on that stupid hybrid armor was harder than taking it off. Made bathroom visits really stressful) and trying to survive without contacting their friends was tough. But they were slowly making progress, and their r dedication to get their lives back kept their drive strong.

Darren plugged the drive into Sunstreaker's dashboard computer. As information flashed on the screen, Darren and Sunstreaker's shared mind instantly downloaded it. And they weren't expecting what they found.

"Huh. Weird." Sunstreaker muttered.

"Yeah." Darren frowned, squinting at the encoded data. "What's a Dynobot?"

"Something of an ancient relic, but according to this, current OZ business."

Darren smirked. "Which makes it…"

"…Our business. Dallas-here we come!"

XXXXXX

Grimlock sat at the ship's computer, hunched over the console as he typed in a message. With his ship out of commission and its ground bridge just barely operational, he needed a new way to get things done. From what he saw from his earlier rampage, the natives weren't even close to space colonization, which meant the humans didn't have anything close to what he'd needed to get it spaceworthy again.

Thornment said Megatron was ready to bring this planet into his thrall of chaos, but from the looks of it, he was barely out of phase 2. And if Megatron really was here, then there was a high possibility that Optimus Prime was here as well to hold him back. His only hope was to contact any Autobot forces on Terra and wait for a response.

"Hope this works." Grimlock said and pressed the send button. This would drain much of the Grimstone's capacitor cells, so he only had one shot at this. "Funny, never thought I would count on Prime for help."

Outside the ship, a helicopter circled over the glacier. It was a cover recon chopper using highly advanced-too advanced-stealth technology to cloak itself from the Grimstone's proximity sensors.

"General Aries, visual confirms what we got from the satellite telemetry." The pilot reported. "We have him."

Back in the central base, Thornment smirked. "Excellent. We're ready to begin. Ready Tsunami unit. Open assault in five…"

At the North Pole, a team of blue armored Sunstreaker clones were assembled in front of the newly refurbished MASS device. At Thornment's signal, Pisces activated the machine and the clones were engulfed in a swirling green vortex that whisked them away in a bright flash of light. In the span of a few seconds, they reappeared on the edge of the crater the Grimstone was sitting in.

"Hm?" Grimlock heard the ship's proximity sensors going off. Immediately he knew who it was. Looks like OZ finally found him.

"Stupid humans." He grumbled and walked toward the entry hatch. If those puny morons thought he was just going to sit back and let them take him, then they really don't know him at all.

Outside, the Tsunami headmaster unit was lined up along the cliff and had their heat cannons focused on the ship.

"On my mark," The squad leader said. "Get his attention!"

They fired their heat cannons at once, focusing on a single point in the ship's hull. Keeping their attacks sustained, their combined attacks started melting through the ship's outer hull very slowly. But as they burned their way into the ship, no one noticed a giant hand punching out of the ground behind them.

"Hugh? What's-" A headmaster turned around just in time to see the inside of Grimlock's maw before the Dynobot snatched him up in his jaws and snapped him in two.

Grimlock headbutted another headmaster off the cliff and spun around, clamping his teeth on another's blaster arm, forcing the soldier to shoot two of his comrades before having said arm torn off. He swung his tail at another poor soul who was hit so hard that his legs were ripped to shreds as he crashed into a tangled heap.

"This guy's so much bigger and faster than what they said in the debriefing!" A headmaster said as he slammed his knee into Grimlock's face.

"We've barely started and we already lost four men!" Another soldier cried out, transforming and speeding back in reverse to avoid getting crushed under Grimlock's foot.

"Quit mewling and keep him busy!" The unit leader shouted and jumped on Grimlock's back, attaching a targeting coin onto his neck.

"Huh?" Grimlock blinked and in those few seconds he found himself encased in a swirling emerald vortex, hindering his vision. With the targeting coin in place, the MASS device located and transported his body from the Eldia glacier…to the middle of a busy street at noon in the heart of a town!

The concrete cratered under his immense weight, and a car crashed into his foot. People, startled and now panicking at the sudden appearance of a giant robot t-rex that literally appeared out of thin air, started running as fast as they could, though some just stared in awe at him, regardless of the potential danger.

"Oh…frag." He cursed. Looks like he was just about to learn just how much worse things can get.

XXXXXX

Agent Red almost spat out his coffee when one of the techies suddenly yelled out the sudden reappearance of Thunder Lizard 1. He ran over to the survey station for a closer look.

"Do we have a confirmed visual?" He asked.

"No, sir. But everything points to Thunder Lizard 1."

Red narrowed his eyes. This was way too convenient for his liking, and he hated coincidences in this line of work. "All this time, nothing. Then right back on our doorstep. How…convenient."

"Sir?"

"Never min. however it got there, it's our problem. I want a complete communications blackout. Cut phone lines and disable all local cell networks." He commanded. "No one in, no one out. Anything airborne, either force it down or shoot it down. Whatever it takes to contain this. Seal Fallon off!"

"Yes sir." The officer nodded.

"Weston!" Red turned to the extremely stressed out scientist. "Status?"

"Thunder Lizards 2- are en route, Red." Weston said. "And Gaia help anyone caught between them!"

XXXXXX

Thornment and Aries watched the footage of Grimlock's massive form lumbering through the middle of Fallon, in full view of hundreds of townspeople.

"This will certainly throw the Autobots into a panic," Aries said. "Along with those fools in Skywatch."

"I can't wait to see a battle between Dynobots. Let's see how Grimlock's years of battle experience helps him against his own team!" Thornment cackled.

"Guys," Scorpio called out. "We have company."

Thornment looked over to one o the external cameras and saw a red sports car with orange flames sitting right outside the front gates to the building. It was Rodimus.

"So I see." She said in a dangerously low voice.

""How'd he find us?" Aries asked.

"It doesn't matter. I'll take care of him myself." Thornment walked to the hangar doors to greet their guest. "We should at least have one outsider bear witness to the death of some of history's strongest warriors."

XXXXXX

"So this is where the magic happens." Rodimus said to himself. "I hope the Magnificence didn't lead me on a wild goose chase before it burned out, or I've just set myself up for a lot of ripping from Bulkhead."

Standing in front of the bad guy's base of operations in broad daylight was a very bad decision even Rodimus acknowledged as reckless. But he had to know if this was the place. The Magnificence, an ancient yet strange relic that was supposed to know everything based on universal probability, had told him that OZ's main base of operations was most likely located in Delpoi's southeastern region. And the most prominent target was the main HQ of Epsilon Holdings. Having just gotten done with laying some demons to rest (see future chapter of Distant Stars: Revelation), Rodimus was not in the mood for any slag.

"Come on, baddies!" Rodimus yelled, honking his horn. "I'm right here, ready to kick some ass! Doesn't feel good having someone knock at your door, does it? I'm here to repay you for that stunt you assholes pulled last week!"

His challenge was answered as a lavender beam hit the ground behind him. Rodimus was sent crashing through the games and transformed to land on his feet. Thornment shifted from her alt mode and sprinted at him.

"You want to fight, boy?" She hollered, swinging her spike studded heat vines around her body. "Then fight!"

Rodimus cursed as the rods tore up the ground, leaving jagged trenches in the ground and tearing up the fancy grass lawn. He dodged one whip but another wrapped around his arm and he was pulled into the air, thrown into a statue and hit the ground shoulder first. Thornment yanked him towards her, but her twisted her body to kick her in the face. He spun around and buried his fist in her jaw before firing a volley of electrostatic blasts at her chest.

"How'd you like that?" He smirked.

Thornment's eyes flashed and she gave a hollow shriek that rattled his steel bones. She leapt at him, rammed her shoulder into his face, and, as he staggered back, spin-kicked him hard enough to rip some metal from his cheek. She began punching and clawing at his face and chest, digging gouges into his chest plate, clawing at his face, digging her knuckles onto his arms.

Rodimus was unprepared for this sudden surge of strength and took the brunt of her assault before he was able to kick her off. He rolled over and spat out a piece of his denta (teeth) groaning in pain. Thornment stood over him, power flowing off her body in invisible but tangible waves.

"What's the matter, boy? Where's all that bravado you had? Did that ass whooping take the wind out of your sails?"

Rodimus glared up at her and spat at her feet.

"Hmm. Looks like I'll just have to beat that rebellious attitude out of you." She said before she started whipping Rodimus repeatedly with her heat rods. "It's time I taught you how things go in the real world, Autobot!"

XXXXXX

Rodimus grunted as he hit the wall and crumpled to the floor. Thornment shut the doors behind her and picked up a metal beam as he stalked towards him.

"Count yourself lucky, Rodimus. If I'd wanted you dead, you'd have met Primus a long time ago. This…is just play!" She swung the beam and smacked Rodimus across the face, knocking him onto his back. Part of his jaw was nearly dislocated and he could barely move because of the searing burns and gouges along his body. Thornment tossed the beam aside and slowly circled him like a hyena going in for the kill. "The truth of it is, I want you to see the full scope of what is now unfolding in all its terrible glory. The magnificent breadth of my vision. And for that, I need you broken, tamed…and hobbled."

She grabbed his right leg and twisted it until she heard a sickening crack and Rodimus wailed in pain, clawing at the flor. She left him writhinh on the floor and walked over to the monitor, showing drone footage of Grimlock in Fallon. Two headmasters grabbed Rodimus and dragged him after her.

"I admire your tenacity, Rodimus, I really do." She said. "I've heard stories of how you've led a revolution against Zeta Prime's regime in Nyon. For all the good that did you after it was razed to the ground."

"You," Rodimus coughed. "Don't know slag about me."

"You're right, I don't. Nor do I particularly care. However, I'd be a foot to ignore you. Your brash attitude hides a deceptively cunning mind." Thornment chuckled. "I mean, given that our strike against you was particularly random, an exercise really, you've stubbornly stuck at this, determined to settle the score, or perhaps rescue poor little Sunstreaker. You even found your way here! You really must tell me how."

Thornment motioned to the monitor. "Our main event won't be starting for a while, so in the meantime, we'll have our Dynobots perform for us."

XXXXXX

"Thornment! Is this it? Is this what you wanted?!" Grimlock roared, stomping down the street, crushing cars and shattering windows with his loud bellows. Police forces opened fired on him, but their tiny bullets barely caught his notice as he waited for some kind of response. "The beast is unleashed! A very public monster! Well fine! I'm happy to oblige!"

Grimlock stomped over to a park and transformed mid-stride, drawing his red sword and standing tall in full view of the humans. "Whatever it is you have waiting for me, bring it on!"

XXXXXX

Sunstreaker sped down the highway at full speed, completely disregarding the speed limit. Though Darren could've forced Sunstreaker to slow down, he was more concerned about the news reports they were getting of the giant robot dinosaur stomping around. After explaining to Darren who the Dynobots were, Darren had to ask his own question.

"Tell me something, if all hell's about to break loose in Fallon, why are we heading west?" he asked. "Shouldn't we be doing something about these Dinobots?"

"It's Dynobots." Sunstreaker corrected. "D-Y-"

"Dinobots. Like Dinosaurs, you see that right? What they change into?" Darren interrupted. "Work with me, Sunny!"

Sunstreaker sighed. "Dallas is where the OZ hub is. Likely it's where my actual head is, too. Guarded by the Zodiac and their psychotic pet femme." He explained. "And their plan revolves around the unlimited access it grants to their headmaster army!"

"Yes, but Fallon's about to become a battleground. We-"

"Should do what? Try to fight 'em? We barely lasted again Thornment, what's one lone headmaster going to do against a Dynobot who can fight Optimus and Megatron to a stand still?" Sunstreaker replied. Darren knew he wasn't being his usually selfish self. He genuinely meant it. "Being an Autobot…meaning we have to pick our battles. We can't save everyone. The best we can do is hope our friends can do something about it, because Grimlock's temper tantrum is very public right now."

Darren rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I know. It's just…we have to end this quickly."

"And we will, Darren." Sunstreaker replied. "We will."

XXXXXX

Grimlock waited patiently for any sign of Thornment or her OZ headmasters. He deduced that the only reason he was warped here was because she wanted a public fight. A monster ravages a small town and a hero emerges to save the people.

'Question is,' Grimlock thought. 'Who is hero?'

Then he felt the ground shake. Softly at first, but it grew to earthquake levels. Grimlock spun around, eyes widening as he recognized the sound of those roars. "It can't be!"

Three more saurian mechanoids came crashing through a building, sending debris everywhere as Slag, Sludge, and Snarl stomped after Grimlock, their designated target.

At OZ central, Thornment turned to her tech-team. "Loosen the neural dampeners by thirty percent. Let some of who they are come to the surface. I want them at their savage best!"

"So Thornment lied. You did survive!" Grimlock laughed, deeply relieved to see his team alive. But his happiness died when Slag tried to ram him. "Slag?"

Snarl bit at his legs, while Sludge swung his long neck at him, trying to knock him over. Grimlock was puzzled at the animalistic behavior of his team. Even Swoop, wasn't responding coherently, diving low and swiping his talon's at Grimlock's head.

"Snarl, Sludge, Swoop!" He yelled. "What's wrong with you?!"

XXXXXX

Jashua Red and Rebecca Howard ran up the stairs to the roof of their secret facility. The main didn't stay to listen to the reports of their missing secret weapon as he suddenly made for his personal chopper.

"Thunder Lizard 1 has been engaged, Red. But there's that six inexplicable drop in neural net cohesion." Weston said, trying to keep pace with them. "Same as before."

"Inexplicable," Red grumbled. "Yeah, right. And Fallon?"

"Sealed off-tight as a drum. Nothing in, nothing out!" he said as they reached the roof. "Cellular networks all disabled. Landlines too. And we're enforcing a forty-mile radius no fly zone."

"Good, keep me updated at regular intervals." Red said. "Howard, you're riding with me."

"What? Where are we going?" She shouted over the helicopter noise.

"Doing something we should've done the moment we lost Thunder Lizard 1." He replied and signaled the chopper to take off. "Ian Fleming put it this way! Once is happenstance, twist is coincidence. Three times…is enemy action!"

XXXXXX

Grimlock struggled against Sludge and Snarl as they pushed him back with their combined strength. Slag's added push was too much for him and he tumbled back, mowing down a destructive wave through the downtown area. People screamed and struggled to run out off the way, though some weren't as lucky.

"Don't want to fight you," Grimlock grunted as they smashed into a building and completely demolished it. Debris hit his face as he punched Snarl's face to loosen the bit on his hand. "But you leave me no choice!"

He grabbed Slag by the horns and threw him into a motel, knocking over the signpost in a shower of sparks. "You have to remember who you are! What we were!"

Sludge stomped forward and snapped his head at Grimlock, who slammed a fist atop his cranium. "Whatever I've done in the past, no matter how much I am to blame for this mess, we're Dynobots first! We watch each other's back, we stick together through thick and thin, and no one…tells us what to do!"

He lifted Sludge's larger body and heave, slamming him into an oncoming Swoop and knocking him away, and then threw Sludge to the ground. He then saw Slag and the flames leaking from his mouth.

"Slag, don't," Grimlock pleaded as he switched to beast mode. "Focus. Go back to the moment we first met on Cybertron. We were both in the brig, you and me, trying to figure out who gone furthest up the chain of command in terms of who we ticked off and how bad." He slowly edged toward Slag. "You trumped my field commander with vice admiral. You shot him in the back to convince the moron his unit was being outflanked and forward attack was the only options. I knew then that we saw things with the same, simple clarity."

He edged closer still. "Slag, remem-"

Slag fired his stream of flames that caught Grimlock in the chest and sent him into a gas station. As soon as Grimlock noticed he was covered in oil, he groaned. "Frag me-"

BOOM! The gas station exploded in a might explosion that sent the four Dynobots flying in different directions. Firefighters were immediately on the scene to put the flames out, but the area of the inferno was too great to cover.

"Please tell me we cleared the area!" The fire chief said.

"As far as we can tell, Chief, but you know how these folks are," A fireman said. "Some of 'em would sooner amputate one of their own limbs with a nail file than leave their homes and businesses!"

Just to prove his point, the manager of a family owned diner watched from a window as the world burned around him, trapped in his diner by white hot flames.

XXXXXX

"My, my, who would've thought I'd be having this much fun?" Thornment laughed. "Haven't felt this ecstatic since torching those peons in Simfur."

"Why?"

"Hm?" Thornment turned to Rodimus. "Why what?"

"Why all this? What's your angle in causing so much chaos?" Rodimus asked weakly.

"You honestly wouldn't understand if I told you the unabridged version. And my angle is much more vast than OZ's." She pointed to the screen. "Those Dynobots are being controlled by a secret government organization called Skywatch, and they've been on OZ's radar for quite some time now. As you know, OZ wants to help humanity evolved as a species, and to do that, they need control over Terra. They've been doing it at a steady pace for over a century before we cybertronians arrived.

"You see, Skywatch will be revealed as the instigator of this devastation and rendered defunct due to their inherent incompetence. The headmasters, by that point, will have resorted order to chaos, ending the threat posed by the Dynobots." She went on. "Once everything is said and done, Epsilon Holdings will be given a lucrative government contract to police the skies and defend Terra from extraterrestrial threats. OZ will have greater influence over Terra's future, while the Zodiac supplants the world's nations from within."

"Quiet a mouthful." Rodimus coughed.

"Yes, it's a bit long winded. And I could honestly care less about their goals. Though, I look forward to seeing both Prime and Megatron brought to their knees." Thornment shook her head. "As for me, my goals and OZ's mesh thanks to our divine protectors, our gods."

"Gods?"

"Yes. You don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm sure Prime does. He's encountered many of them in the past year." She smirked. "And soon, our gods will show both humanity and the cybertronians the path to true enlightenment."

"Sir," One of the humans said. "The Trident Battalion is on final approach."

"Tell them to hold position and await my command. I find myself intrigued." Thornment thought back to Grimlock's words. What happened between them? "Raise the awareness threshold by fifty percent. Let them access their memory cache. Something tells me the simmering animosity we've toiled so hard to include artificially has been there the whole time!"

XXXXXX

"Someone, help! I'm cookin' alive in my own diner!"

Grimlock's keen audials heard a man's weak cries for help in the heart of the inferno, and he saw the man in the window, trapped by the flames.

"Hmph," Grimlock reverted to robot mode and waded through the flames toward the trapped human. "Dumb animals."

Grimlock! What did you do?!"

A flaming sword slashed across his back, staggering Grimlock. He caught himself and face his now transformed team-who looked very, very unhappy with him.

"To us? Your fellow Dynobots?" Slag growled, pointing his sword at Grimlock's face.

"So you remember." Grimlock said, inwardly relieved but knowing their pissing contest would continue if he didn't explain quickly. "I made sure we won, at any cost. We came to this planet looking for payback. That Seeker had it coming, big time! Only…it didn't work that way. We were all beaten, at his mercy, but I pre-set a barrage from the Grimstone's main weapons array on an unstable reservoir of magma. Any one of you would do the same thing."

"Except we would have been up front about it. You did it behind our backs, took the decision out of our hands." Slag said. "The instant you did that, we stopped being a team."

Grimlock snorted condescendingly. "Funny."

"What is?" Swoop asked.

"To hear that from you, Slag. You fought so hard to stress, time and time again, that's exactly what we're not-a team." Grimlock walked over to the dinger and leaned down. "You said we put the "un" into "unit". You said, when we first formed the idea about the Dynobots, you said there's only one rule…there are no rules. What I did was completely, utterly us."

Grimlock heaved and lifted the entire diner over his head, lifting the man inside from harm and marched past his team. "Now if you'll excuse me, I feel curiously obligated to put this puny lifeform out of harm's way."

At the underground command center, Thornment shrugged. "Huh, oh well. You win some, you lose some. Send in the headmasters!"

Outside Fallon, a squad of two dozen red colored Sunstreaker headmasters approached the Skywatch barricade placed on the roads near Fallon's city limits. The soldiers posted there tried to stop them, but grew nervous as the cars didn't heed their warnings to slow down.

"Hey! Stop or we'll-"

The lead car fired two rockets, blasting apart the barricade and driving down the road, ignoring the soldiers shooting at them as they drove straight toward Fallon. They were the first of many teams that would converge on the Dynobots.

XXXXXX

"I'm not even going to ask if this is a good idea, because we both know the answer." Howard said stiffly as they walked into one of their holding facilities in the state of Wyoming.

"Good, because I didn't ask you." Red said.

"This is only going to make things worse, don't you see that?" She hissed.

"We have no choice. Our control over the Thunder Lizards has been lost thanks to an outside party screwing around with your programs." He said and glared at her. "You had your chance, now I have mine. We have to send in someone who isn't on the grid."

Rebecca stopped short as Red crossed the catwalk to stand before the massive black and blue mech restrained from head to toe in adamantium bolts and cuffs.

"It's high time you and I had a talk," Agent Red said, staring into the featureless face of the ancient Seeker. "Sprawl."

* * *

 **It was certainly a doozy writing this one, and I spent the entire day typing it down! I hope you all like it, because part 2 is gonna be just as crazy as we reach the event horizon before I switch over to Distant Stars again. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	40. Maximum Dinobots part 2

Chapter 40-Maximum Dinobots part 2

Agent Joshua Red studied the Decepticon Seeker known as Sprawl as they released him from his restraints. He was almost as tall as Grimlock, with a razor thin white optic visor, and matching white highlights on his black and chrome armor plating. Each step he took rattled the chamber as he stepped forward, rolling his wide shoulders while looking up at the humans in the bullet and bomb proof observation deck above him. He had no mouth, but Red could tell he was smirking at them.

Sprawl was found alongside the Dynobots, also in stasis. They based the neural inhibitor web off the cognitive restraints they implanted into Sprawl upon his awakening. He was kept in his containment facility, perplexed but amused at the humans who thought they had him contained. His nonchalant attitude towards the situation grated on Red's nerves. It was like a giant looking down on ants.

"Do you understand what's been done to you, Sprawl?" He asked through the intercom.

"Of course. You have interspliced a powerful explosive charge within my neural mass, designed to detonate after twenty four of your time-units (hours) have elapsed unless a reset code, known only to you is transmitted." Sprawl said in a smooth, cool tone. You do this because your previous attempts to leash my kind have been met with dismal, repeated and unsurprising failure. And you wish me to clean up your mess."

"Exactly." Red said, fighting down his growing irritation. "You have the first twenty four window to locate and neutralize Seekers 1 and 2 and Thunder Lizards 1 to 5."

Sprawl chuckled as the roof slid apart to allow him clearance to take off. "Ravage, Laserbeak, Grimlock, Snarl, Swoop, Sludge and Slag. My old friends." He hummed. "Twenty four hours. Agent Red, do you have any conception of how much damage I could do to your tiny little world in that time?"

Leaving them with that ominous warning, Sprawl stepped outside and transformed. His parts reorganized at an agonizingly slow pace due to not having transformed in so long, but soon a large cybertronian jet was in his place, shooting into the sky and vanishing into the horizon.

"Why do I feel like we aren't seeing him again after this?" Rebecca asked.

"You don't think…" One of the scientists gulped. "He wouldn't. Not with that bomb in his head. Would he?"

"I don't know. Let's ask Agent Red," Rebecca glared at Red's face. "He set the hellhound loose after all."

Red gritted his teeth and glared back at Howard. "Agent Howards, I have had enough of your-"

" _Skywatch central, this is tact unit Bcrux. We are under attack!"_

"What?!" Both agents exclaimed.

XXXXXX

"Multiple vehicular assailants," The soldier grunted as a group of red cars armed to the teeth blasted their way through the barricade explosively. "We can't stop them!"

The armored convoys were blasted to oblivion by the headmaster units as they drove into Fallon, five battalions in all. From her post in OZ central, it was all glorious to Thornment, who watched the show with sadistic glee.

"Sir, just in from our on-site observers," Drake reported. "All headmaster battalions have penetrated Fallon city limits."

"Excellent. Converge on Grid T-lateral 6. Have them target Grimlock alone." She ordered. "I'm interested to see just how willing the others will leap to his defense."

"Done."

"That said however it goes…no one makes it out alive."

XXXXXX

"We have to get off this planet." Grimlock said to his team. "The Grimstone is intact, but badly damaged. In need of repairs and expertise I don't have. At least, not yet." He glanced at the demolished town and sighed. "Until then, we need to lay low and hide. The humans will be back with bigger weapons and Thornment, well…she's not done with us yet."

When Grimlock didn't hear any replies, he looked back at his team, who just stood there glaring at him. "Why are you all standing there? What's wrong?" He didn't like the silent treatment they were giving him. "Talk to me."

"Time was Grimlock, you talked and we listened," Swoop said. "But that's changed. Everything's different. New world, new rules."

"It's us, Swoop, against the world." Grimlock said. "As always!"

"No. I can't speak for the others, but I can't forgive what you did-however much it might be in keeping with the general archaic ethos of being a Dynobot." Swoop shook his head. "I…I'm not someone who plays well with others. Trust comes hard for me. And yet, you pulled me in…made me a part of something I could believe in. and then on a whim, you blew it all apart."

Grimlock winced and lowered his gaze.

"It was just a game for you, wasn't it? Win at all costs. Any cost. The rest of us were just a means to an end. Say we get off this planet. What then? Can you honestly tell me there's one single solitary ridge that hasn't been burned?"

Grimlock couldn't say anything to that. And neither could the other Dynobots who were silently watching the tense exchange. They had pushed almost everyone away during the War for Cybertron, and now they we're back to where they began. Outcasts among comrades.

"Yeah, I thought so." Swoop scowled and went into his beast mode. "I'm better off alone."

He took off, ignoring Grimlock's yells for him to come back. "Swoop, wait! Don't…"

Grimlock reached after Swoop's airborne form as if it would keep him from leaving. He looked back and saw the other Dynobots turn their backs on him as well, walking away. "We're a team." He said weakly. Clenching his fists, Grimlock growled. "Fine. Frag you all. I don't need you. I never needed you. From now on, it's all about me! Grim-"

Three rockets hit his chest and he staggered back from the powerful blows. Grimlock looked up and saw the headmasters driving at him down the street.

"Back for more?" He growled.

"Back to finish what we started." A headmaster replied as he transformed alongside the other headmasters.

"Good. I'm in the mood to eviscerate en masse!" Grimlock leapt at them and transformed to beast mode mid-lunge, slamming headfirst into the headmasters and snapping at them. All the while Slag, Sludge and Snarl watched from the sidelines, conflicted.

XXXXXX

"So, your headmasters save the day, Skywatch is exposed and discredited, and Epsilon Holdings picks up the government contract to police the skies." Rodimus huffed, wincing as his loose jaw creaked painfully. "Seems rather…mundane."

"The hostile takeover is merely the beginning, Rodimus. As we speak, the Zodiac are prepping for a simultaneous invasion of the Ark and Nemesis in just a few short hours." Thornment revealed.

"W-what?!" Rodimus straightened up.

"Heh, that caught you attention, didn't it? Yes, there are two fully armed headmaster armies ready to wipe out both your friends and enemies in one fell swoop." She said. "If our race is to truly grow and evolve, we must cut away the dead flesh keeping the new cells from taking its place. We will only be allowed true paradise when the ones responsible for starting the war that killed our planet are killed. Once Optimus Prime and Megatron are dealt with, the rest of their factions will fall."

"You're insane! There's no way you can take on both of them!"

"You'd be surprised what we can do thanks to our gods." Thornment chuckled. "You should be proud, Rodimus. You'll be the sole survivor of the Terra wars. Just like the sacking of Nyon. And that's what you'll always be…a survivor like me."

XXXXXX

Grimlock grunted in pain as multiple heat beams tore into his thick hide and swung the bulk of his body around, smacking them away with his tail. Another volley of beams hit his face and right leg, forcing him back. Too many…at this rate, he'll lose a limb before their numbers could be thinned down.

But then the wall of headmasters was shattered as Sludge barreled into them, swinging his long neck like a battering ram.

"Sludge?"

"Seriously, did you think we'd just stand there and let you-whatever you are-take out the Big G?" sludge said, throwing the mechs every which-way.

"All you've done is remind us," Snarl said as he tore off an arm and crushed another unit's leg. "Is that deep down…"

Slag incinerated two more headmasters with his fire breath. "For better or worse…"

"We're Dynobots!" Swoop dived in from the sky like a bird of prey, firing his wing-mounted laser cannons.

"Swoop!" Grimlock exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy. "You came back."

Swoop transformed and shrugged. "Well where would I go? Just…just understand, whatever happens next will be on my terms."

Grimlock nodded. "Loud and clear."

"Uh," Snarl backed away as another flood of headmasters drove down the intersection. Two more battalions of headmasters surrounded the Dynobots. Shifting to their robot modes, they all pointed their weapons at the team, who didn't feel so confident anymore. "I think I can guess what happens next."

"All units," Thornment said coldly. "Execute them."

XXXXXX

"We're getting close." Darren said. "I did some snooping on the web and found some more sites to check out. Three in total. Two production plants and the company's HQ."

"Which one's the closest?"

"They all are about an equal distance from our location, but we can't check them out all at once."

"We'll have to. I can't risk missing my head on the first try." Sunstreaker said.

Darren frowned and wrenched control of the vehicle from Sunstreaker, driving off the road and onto a dirt path near a harbor.

"Darren? What are you doing?"

"Calm down, Sunny, no need to shout. We share the same head." Darren said. "You're all fired up, I get that, you want your real head back-but we can't just roll in there and start shooting things. So I'm calling a time out."

They transformed to robot mode and the transector detached his head, placing it on the ground. Darren switched from his head form, standing up and stretching his sore limbs. Staying connected to the transector for long periods of time wasn't as taxing on his body as it should be thanks to the implants, but it was still a bit uncomfortable for someone who hasn't trained for it like he has.

"Sorry, Sunstreaker, but this situation calls for a level head, and right now, I am it." Darren felt the Autobot's faint protests in the back of his mind, but ignored it. "Don't give me that, I'm not running into a battle we can't win. We barely escaped from Thornment last time, and I am not going to repeat that mess of an encounter."

He sat on the ground and took a deep breath. They were close now, and were on the verge of running headfirst into danger without support or backup. Darren was so used to fighting in a talos alongside his friends that being alone was…scary. He would have to fight an army of headmasters and the Zodiac all by himself, Sunstreaker's consciousness notwithstanding.

"Okay, Darren," He told himself. "Time to see if you have the chops for this."

Standing up, he closed his eyes and held up his hand, focusing on calling Excalibur to him. He never had to call his sword to him, not in the way Annie called upon Mjolnir on a whim. She described it as forming a mental image of the hammer flying into her hand, like an impulse and less like a command. It worked at short distances, but Excalibur was halfway across the country. Would it even work?

'No, I can't start having doubts now.' Darren shook his head. 'Not this far in the fight. I have to at least try.'

He focused hard on his sword, visualizing it moving to him, willing it to heed his call. He never had to telekinetically pull things from such great distances, especially not things he couldn't see. But then he felt a strange tingle in his arm, an electric jolt warm across his skin.

'That's right, recognize one of your knights.' Darren thought. 'Come to me, Excalibur. Help me in this dark hour. Give me strength, just like you did King Arthur.'

His arm was shaking right now, and he had a dull hum in his ears. The hum grew in intensity in his head until it gave way to a crackling jolt in the back of his neck. Opening his eyes, he looked up and saw a shape heading his way. A tiny pointy object flying through the air faster than a bullet.

"Oh my god, it actually worked!" Darren grinned.

Excalibur, the legendary sword forged by nonhuman hands and bestowed to a mighty king, fell from the sky as if delivered from the heavens. Darren didn't flinch as the sword stabbed itself into the ground in front of him.

"Hello, friend." Darren smiled, grasping its hilt and holding it aloft. Despite its size and weight, it felt light and perfect in his hands, while it normally would've been heavy in the hands of a child his age.

He swung Excalibur a few times before holding the blade in his hand. "You're all I need in this situation. So please, lend me your power to help me protect my friends and family."

Excalibur vibrated in his hands, giving a small hum as if to show its support of him. Darren smiled.

"Thank you."

XXXXXX

"DYNOBOTS CHAAAARRGE!"

Grimlock's war cry spurred the battle into action. The headmasters fired their cannons from all directions, but the Dynobots tore through their ranks like a battle hardened bulldozer with teeth and flames. The Dynobots went full melee on them and ripped through the headmasters with teeth, claws and blades, killing dozens in just a few minutes. Stray heat blasts and missiles caused more damage to the already ravaged town. At this point, Fallon was little more than a burning ruin in its death throes. Pretty much the standard sight after a Dynobot battle.

Swoop tried to fly up and deliver an air strike but he wasn't able to get high enough before he was shot through his wing. He hit the ground face first and was almost lit up by some headmasters before Grimlock bisected them all with a single swipe of his sword. He helped Swoop to his feet and the flyer gave a nod of gratitude.

"I was wrong, Grimlock." Swoop said.

Grimlock looked down at him. "Huh?"

"Better to die with warrior brothers than in quiet solitude."

Snarl fell back as he took a volley of missiles to his body, falling to his knees. Slag jumped over him and took out his attacks with a flaming sword strike, only for more to push him back. Sludge pulled both mechs back and swung his war hammer, bashing away large swaths of enemies with each swing.

Grimlock saw that everyone was exhausted. Their earlier battle against each other had drained much of their already low power levels, and they were starting to slow down as the overcharge of battle wore off. At this point, they were going to be overrun.

Dying at the hands of pale imitations of an annoying Autobot whose death he'd often fantasize about from some stupid organization on a planet far from home wasn't exactly how Grimlock planned his demise, but then again, he always considered himself untouchable. Just the thought of dying like this only fueled him more.

His only solace was that he got his team back. He wasn't alone anymore.

"I pulled us together for all the wrong reasons." Grimlock said as the headmasters began to swarm on top of them. "But at least we're together…one last time!"

At this point, the headmasters were piling on top of them and the Dynobots were obscured from view. By rights, the endless waves of enemies would've worn them down within the hour…had a particle beam not scattered the clones.

"Wha-" Slag looked up and saw a ground bridge appear in the street.

"Grimlock, what is that?" Swoop asked.

"Our reinforcements." Grimlock answered.

Arcee, Moonracer and Athena jumped out of the portal and laid waste to the headmasters. Moonracer fired explosive rounds from a rooftop to scatter the soldiers, while Arcee sprinted forward and began cutting them down with her swords. Gina laid down heavy fire with her sol missiles and fired her beam cannon to kill dozens at a time.

"Arcee Moonracer and…whatever the hell that thing is." Sludge grumbled. "What are they doing here?"

"The world just opened its doors to Megatron, and Prime is right behind him. So I called in a little extra assistance." Grimlock's faceplate retracted, showing his gruesome maw full of white teeth upturned in a grin. "Now are we going to let a bunch of girls show s up? Let's show Prime's people how it's really done!"

Grimlock charged back into the fray with renewed vigor. His Dynobots watched it all with shocked expressions. Swoop shrugged.

"And somehow, after all that's happened, we still do."

With that, the other Dynobots followed their leader and continued the massacre. This sudden turn in the battle was too much for the headmasters, who were unable to combat the combined might of the Autobots and Dynobots. Gina's beam cannon weren't helping matters either.

"T-they're not paying me enough for this!" A headmaster cried, not wanting to get torn apart.

"Hell no!"

"R-right! I signed up for a turkey shoot!" Another soldier whimpered.

All things considered, it was nice to see who was truly loyal to the OZ cause, as the die-hards stayed behind to get slaughtered, while those less courageous sped away as fast as their wheels could take them.

XXXXXX

Thornment was silently fuming at the scene. The Dynobots were mere seconds away from certain death, and suddenly her victory gets snatched away from her. She was a hair's breath away from smashing someone's head, and Rodimus's laugh wasn't helping her sour mood.

"Haha! The best laid plans, eh, Thornment?" Rodimus cackled. "Those Dynobots. Last group in all creation anyone'd hang a strategy on! Except you apparently! Haha! Life's a glitch, ain't it?"

"You two, take him out," Thornment growled. She didn't dare turn around lest she lose any semblance of control and go into a burning rage. "And have him shot."

"Maybe you should take some notes from Grimlock, you stupid genius!" Rodimus laughed as the headmasters dragged him out.

"He's lost it." One of the guards said as they dragged Rodimus out back.

"After the beating the boss meted out, are you surprised?" His partner said. "This'll be a mercy killing."

As they entered the elevator lift, the headmaster noticed something odd as Rodimus's cackles died down. The small space was getting warmer by the second.

"Is it me or is it getting hot in here?" He asked.

Rodimus lifted his head, smirking with his broken face. "Ha."

The two headmasters didn't know what happened as both were incinerated by Rodimus's flames as he went up like a supernova.

XXXXXX

"So Thornment failed to kill the Dynobots. Surprise, surprise." Scorpio said sarcastically.

"Hugh now, Scorpio. Thankfully, Thornment was kind enough to refrain from using too many of our reserve forces." Aries glanced at the monitor in the control center. "And this trial run of the headmaster army, failure aside, has went swimmingly in my opinion."

"So says you." Scorpio replied.

Aries glared at him before looking back to Pisces and Aquarius on the communication monitors, both clad in their bodysuits. "Are your divisions prepped and ready?"

"We're nearing the Ark's position, Aries." Pisces said. "I've already sent Vipers on site to confirm visual."

"Same here. The Nemesis is on an island in the Pacific Ocean." Aquarius said and smirked. "Both air and ground units are combat ready."

"Good. Once you're within range of your targets, wait for my signal to begin." Aries said. "Today, both Autobots and Decepticons will fall before the next sunrise."

* * *

 **Up next is the finale to Transformers Titan: Escalation, the Divine Comedy! I'll be uploading another two chapters to Distant Stars before finishing this story and taking a little break to get some more material for Devastation. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!**


	41. The Divine Comedy-Inferno

Chapter 41-The Divine Comedy-Inferno

The Decepticon Sprawl flew over the state of Ozark, high enough that the humans couldn't see him in his still cybertronian form, and his jet engines were almost as silent as a gust of wind thanks to his hybrid engine. Skywatch had been kind enough to keep his flight path clear of any local airlines, but Sprawl made it clear that'd he have no problem killing people on their watch if they got in his way. What better way to piss off his captors by showing that all the deaths were because they set him lose on the world.

This was such an odd world to wake up to, and these humans were certainly resourceful, if nothing else. He wasn't insulted by their audacity, like most Decepticons would be. It tickled him at the lengths these creatures would go to appear strong in front of his kind, despite after such embarrassing, repeated failures in controlling what could've been their game changer for their organization. Sprawl would only listen to them for now, but once he got his trump card, he was going to make them regret ever hearing his name.

"Hm?" Sprawl was taken out of his thoughts by his sensors alerting him to three cybertronian life signatures. They were identified as Decepticons, but one of them was barely detectable.

It didn't take him long to discern their identities and what he discovered would've made him smile if he had a mouth.

"Hello, Soundwave."

XXXXXX

When Brad Jones heard about giant roots that could turn into dinosaurs tearing apart Fallon, he was totally hype about it. Were they some super advanced form of talos, or were they alien machines? Either though was cool, and that's all that mattered. He just wished the news coverage hadn't cut out before the brawl really got started.

Brad would get his wish granted, as a hole was punched through his wall from the outside and a large robot panther (or jaguar) poke its head into his room, red eyes glaring at him.

"Human! Y-you have…" Ravage grunted out in broken sentences. "Something w-we want."

Brad could only gap at the giant talking robot kitty. "Oh my god."

Ravage, who was doing his best to think straight with the neural implants subverting his brainwaves, scanned the boy's room and saw Soundwave's cassette form sitting inside the bookshelf like some common disposable human device. Ravage growled and called on Laserbeak.

"L-Laserbeak," He rasped. "App-ropiate!"

"Laserbeak jumped off his perch and flew toward the house. He fired his laser cannons at the roof, destroying it and allowing him to swoop down and snatch his master, forcing Brad to take cover from the raining debris. Ravage also transformed into his own cassette mode and Laserbeak snatched him up in his beak before flying off.

"Wow." Brad could only say, ignoring the calls of his panicked mother.

XXXXXX

Soundwave was glad his gamble paid off, as he was still struggling to remain online. If he passed out again, the neural inhibitors in Ravage and Laserbeak would take over, and he wasn't going to let those pitiful humans use his subordinates as their bloodhounds.

Laserbeak had flown as far as the mountains outside of town before landing on the ridge of a dead volcano. Ravage transformed and padded over to Soundwave, his movements jerky and uncoordinated.

"Y-you are…free. But," Ravage growled and shook his head. "Now-what?"

"That, Ravage…I do not know." Soundwave said through his alt mode's speakers. "My last…reserves of power…almost gone. Still trapped in shunt form…can barely keep blocking…signal to your implants. We-"

"Need a specialist." Sprawl lumbered out of the cave, his white visor glowing like a furnace. "Especially as, I'd postulate, it was a weapon of Shockwave's design that consigned you to this sorry state."

"Sp-Sprawl?" Soundwave sounded as shocked as he felt at the sudden appearance of this Seeker, which was a rare feat. Ravage and Laserbeak moved to defend their master. "Is that you?"

"It is." Sprawl said. "Order Ravage and Laserbeak to stand down. I have no wish to hurt them…or you. In fact, Soundwave, I believe we can help each other."

The humans should've never taken their eyes off him when they let him loose.

XXXXXX

"So you have a magic sword that you inherited from some dead king back in Britannia and no one asked you about it?" Sunstreaker asked as he and Darren drove towards the most likely place where his real head was being held. "And you used it to kill Skyquake? How come you humans haven't used these weapons before?"

"In case you forgot that explanation Prime gave you, these weapons are thousands of years old, and they're seen as myths by the majority of the world." Darren sighed. "My Excalibur, Annie's Mjolnir, Nightshade's bow, they were all used at some point by historical figures in the past. We've been using them for so long now, and yet we barely know who made them or how they really work." He shrugged. "There are still so many things we don't know about this world, and it's getting to the point that not knowing enough is hazardous to our health."

"And you think that magic toothpick is gonna help us fight the bad guys?"

"This magic toothpick beheaded Skyquake, and I wouldn't exactly call this a game changer." Darren looked down at Excalibur sitting in the back seat. "Aries has the same type of sword as mine, Clarent, and it's the sword that killed the original owner of Excalibur."

"That's not troubling at all." Sunstreaker remarked.

"He used it to take you out and he'll use it again if we don't have proper protection." Darren said.

Sunstreaker couldn't forget the energy wave Aries used on him. One strike was all it took to take him out, and knowing that some backwater organic with a fancy sword defeated him so easily was a blow to his pride. He wanted a go at that bastard, and make him wish he was never born.

"Reign it in, Sunny. You're going over the speed limit." Darren said, catching wind of Sunstreaker's murderous thoughts.

"Sorry."

"One thing at a time. First, we need to find out where the hell to go. Then-"

The road in front of them exploded and Sunstreaker swerved to the side, nearly tipping over to avoid falling into the smoking crater. Another missile nearly hit him, but he transformed and shifted his arm into his heat cannon.

"Who the hell's shooting me now?!" Sunstreaker yelled.

He got his answer as three talos came zooming down the street on four treads. Darren recognized them as Buque's, wolf-like talos with blue armor and treads on the backs of their legs. They were a type of talos used by the north Libyan mobile armor forces that were equipped for combat in arid, desert areas. There were three pursuing them, two with twin rail-guns and the third with a multi-missile launcher. Darren wondered what Libyan talos were doing this deep in Delpoi when they started shooting at them with machine guns!

"It's obvious, Darren. These yahoos are with OZ, and they want us silenced!" Sunstreaker growled. "I thought OZ thought better of me to send more than three grunts to take us out!"

"Who said we were grunts?" The lead Buque said. The cockpit hatch on its back opened, and a small figure climbed out to face Darren. In Sunstreaker's mind, he heard Darren gasp.

"A Minicon?" Sunstreaker exclaimed.

"Yes, Autobot, a Minicon." Dualor said, his voice leaking immense amounts of hatred. "And thanks to our new friends, we've been given a chance to vent our aggression on you!"

"Oh scrap." Sunstreaker scowled.

"Destruction team," Dualor snarled. "Kill the Autobot and his human proxy!"

XXXXXX

It wasn't even noon yet and the Ark was already bustling with activity. The Minicons and humans were all gathered in front of the medibay where Ratchet and Flashpoint were working on removing the neural implants from the Dynobots. It wasn't a difficult task as the inhibitor webs were completely burned out after Thornment began playing her war games.

Once Grimlock recovered from the operation, Optimus, Prowl and the newly revived Ironhide took him aside to give him a quick briefing on the situation. Once explanations were exchanged, Grimlock couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha! Only you would get your team out of fighting for 4 million years, Prime. At least you weren't woken up as some human science experiment." He chuckled.

"And to think, all this time we thought the Dynobots had defected and gone rogue." Prowl said, crossing his arms. "You and Sprawl, locked in combat, and it appears Sprawl was working for Shockwave."

"That about sums it up. I never once put any thought into this planet's stratospherically high energon count, and now it's come back to bite me in the aft."

"That doesn't excuse you from going against orders, Grimlock." Optimus said. "You've brushed off my warnings enough and now it's almost cost you your team."

"I know. Never knew how much they mattered until I almost lost them." Grimlock shook his head and looked at Prime. "Please tell me you know where those fragging humans are. They almost took my team away and made them into Thornment's plaything!"

"I'm sorry, Grimlock, but we're in the dark as much as you are. Two of our own were taken by OZ and we still have yet to find a solid lead to their whereabouts." Prime sighed. "It doesn't help that you don't remember where you awakened."

"And you don't need another adventure after you and your team leveled an entire town!" Prowl exclaimed. "You stood in full view of humans and exposed us. Now, as if we didn't have enough problems, we might have to deal with the Helic military coming down on us!"

"I got jumped by those headmasters and they teleported me into the middle of a town. Don't take this out on me, you frag-head!" Grimlock hissed.

"Calm down, both of you. This isn't going to solve anything." Optimus said. He placed a hand on Prowl's shoulder. "Prowl, we may be in a difficult position right now, but we must deal with one problem at a time. OZ takes top priority right now."

Prowl exhaled and nodded. "Understood, Prime."

"Grimlock, you and your team are welcome to stay here and recover." Optimus said. "But I'd advise you to watch your step."

Grimlock grumbled a bit, not wanting to sit around while Thornment was still functioning, but he also knew that fighting on near empty energy levels was borderline suicidal. "Fine. I'll stay."

Outside the room, the children and some of the Minicons were marveling at the Dynobots. Annie let out a low whistle.

"Giant robots that change into robot dinosaurs. Now I've seen everything." Annie said."And they were right on our interstellar doorstep the whole time."

"Small universe." High Wire said.

"I've heard stories about those guys, but I'm so hype to see them in person." Road Storm said, taking snapshots with his camera. "Damn, Grimlock really is taller than Prime! I think he's a head taller than bucket head!"

"I heard from my neighbor on Solomus that Grimlock's the only mech who can piss Optimus off with words alone." Grindor whispered. "Even Megatron has to try hard to do that."

"Are they really that famous?" Gina asked.

"More infamous than anything." Sparkplug said. "The Dynobots are like the Wreckers if they had gone off the rails. You can count in the hundreds how many times Grimlock deployed his team without permission. Hard to believe that they were stuck on Terra for so many years."

Gina crossed her arms. "Well, Terra has upgraded itself to cosmic pit stop in our corner of the galaxy. I'm not surprised anymore."

Sureshock noted the tenseness in Gina's muscles. "Gina?"

"I thought for sure that the Dynobots might have a lead on Darren's location, but nothing." Gina rubbed her eyes. "Three weeks and nothing to show for it. Damn it, I can't take this anymore!"

Annie wrapped her arm around Gina's shoulders and pulled her close. "I'm sorry, Gina. Maybe Sara can find something out."

"Maybe." Gina didn't sound so confident anymore. It felt like each passing day took Darren farther and farther away from them. From her.

XXXXXX

"Scrap!" Sunstreaker rolled down a hill as Drill Bit fired off two wire-guided missiles from his unit's missile launcher.

"Come on! How hard is it to shoot a human-made tin can?" Bonesaw yelled at his partner.

"Up yours, Bonesaw! I'd like to see you do better." Drill Bit growled.

"Both of you shut up and kill him!" Dualor shouted.

Sunstreaker cursed his bad luck, which he blamed on Darren. The human supplied him memories of the mission to the moon, where Sparkplug led a revolt against the Minicon dictatorship of the Destruction Team. They lost sight of both that team and their other combiner, Heavy Metal in the combined Autobot/Decepticon assault on the base. Apparently, OZ recruited them as "consultants."

Sunstreaker was a fast fighter, but the Buques were also highly mobile and packed heavy artillery. Drill Bit's unit had a 13 tube 40mm missile pod that had enough firepower to take out a tank, and Dualor and Bonesaw's units were equipped with 2-barrel 450mm rail-guns. They gave Sunstreaker no time to get his bearings, swarming him in the Buque's tank mode and driving him off the road onto a grassy field. Sunstreaker tried to shook at them, but he only managed to nick Dualor's unit in the leg before Drill Bit fired two more missiles at him.

'Come on, Darren, if you have any ideas, don't be a stranger!' He thought.

"What's the matter, Autobot? Not used to being chased around like an animal?" Bonesaw taunted.

"How's it feel?" Dualor joined in, firing his rail-gun at Sunstreaker's feet. "That's what we Minicons had to go through because of you!"

"Cry me a river!" Sunstreaker yelled back. Taking a gamble, he charged at Drill Bit, firing a heat blast at its head, destroying the camera in one blast.

"What? No!" Drill Bit panicked as he lost his main camera and was driving blind. He jumped as he felt his machine shudder before moving off the ground.

Sunstreaker gritted his teeth as he lifted the blind Buque off its treads over his head in an amazing feat of strength. Dualor and Bonesaw circled around him to get a good shot.

"Let go of him!" Bonesaw pulled the trigger and fired a shot at Sunstreaker.

"Bonesaw, wait!" Dualor yelled, but his warning came too late.

The altered Buques were equipped with a Mars Industries rail-gun that fired electrically charged projectiles, mainly tungsten rods, at accelerated speeds akin to a giant gun. As a weapon designed to do maximum damage to heavily armed units, it would've blown a hole clean through Sunstreaker…had it hit its mark. Instead, Sunstreaker held Drill Bit's unit in front of him as a shield and the rod pierced the Buque in its underside, impaling the cockpit from underneath and ripping into Drill Bit. The Minicon was killed when Sunstreaker threw his talos away and it exploded, knocking the Autobot back.

"You freak!" Dualor roared, aiming his guns at Sunstreaker. "I'll tear you two apart!"

"D-Dualor, help!"

"What?" Dualor spun his unit around to see Bonesaw's Buque being boarded by a light pink figure. She jammed a staff into its armor, and to his surprise, the Buque shuddered and felt forward, its head digging into the ground. "Drill Bit?"

"Gak!" He heard Drill Bit's pleas for help as his assailant tore open the cockpit hatch and the sound of blaster fire. Then he heard his cries no more.

"Drill Bit? Drill Bit, answer me!" Dualor yelled. He was jostled in his seat as explosions racked his unit's legs and shifted his camera downward. Three miniature military vehicles were swerving in and out of his legs, firing artillery guns and laser cannons at him. "No, no, no!"

"Take him out, team!" Crack of the Military Team hollered as he fired his twin cannons into one of the Buque's back legs. It's joints exploded into molten metal and the machine toppled over to the side. "Shot, drop it!"

"With pleasure!" Shot rolled up to the Buque and fired his missile payload, taking out its front legs as well.

"Frag!" Dualor cursed as his unit hit the ground hard. Grabbing his path blaster, he popped open the emergency hatch and moved to jump out, only to be greeted by the barrel of a gun in his face.

"Hello, Dualor," Nightscream said coldly, his dark gray armor glinting in the sunlight. "It's not so nice to see you."

A few minutes later, Dualor was on his knees at gunpoint with the Land Military team hovering over him. Sunstreaker walked over to them and detached his head, placing it down next to D-Va and Nightscream. The head transformed into Darren, who smiled at the Minicons.

"Hey, Darren." D-Va smiled. "Always in the nick of time, eh?"

"Yeah, I owe you guys." Darren said. "And I see that you've got some new friends."

"His name is Nightscream, another one of our lost friends. We've got two more, Six Speed and Reverb on their way now, further down the road." She told him.

"How'd you find me?"

"Aside from the ravaged highway above us and the explosions, we had ran into those headmaster things roaming the area while searching for energon." Nightscream said. "D-Va and I were suspicious about something and we decided to hit one of the facilities here."

"We only learned about their army and your escape thanks to listening in on their radio chatter. Aries had been sending out patrols to flush you out." D-Va said.

"Considering we caused him millions of dollars in damages looking for his ass, I'd be mad at myself, too." Darren smirked. He glanced over at Dualor. "What do we do about him?"

"We do what we can to learn about the enemy." D-Va's expression turned cold as she marched over to Dualor, who sneered at her.

"So after everything you've done, you throw in your lot with the Autobots. You filthy race trait-" D-Va punched him in the face.

"We're all the same race, you good for nothing lump of metal. Now, tell us where they're keeping the headmaster control hub. We know it's in their main headquarters."

"I'll tell you nothing." He growled.

D-Va looked at Darren, who gave her a nod. She turned to the LM team. "Looks like it'll be the hard way."

With a snap of her fingers, Crack pointed his blaster at Dualor's shoulder and fired a bolt into his joint connection. Darren winced but did not look away. This had to be done. For his family, friends and the whole world.

XXXXXX

Rodimus grunted as he sat on his back, trying to work as quietly as possible without making too much noise. His chest plate was open, revealing his inner circuitry and Spark core. He managed to crawl as far s the outer gate before hiding from the headmaster and Zygart patrols.

He had come up with a crazy plan that might literally get him killed if he did it wrong. With his comm disabled, he couldn't contact the other Autobots for help, so he had to connect the cables from his comm system to his Spark core, using its energies to supercharge it long enough for him to get a message out. Considering he was tampering with his Spark, there was a good chance he could either cause it to burn out from meltdown or fry his neural pathways to a crisp.

'I don't have a choice.' Rodimus thought. 'Thornment shut down my comm unit, so I have to make due.'

Plugging the last cable into his chest, Rodimus took a deep breath and got ready for the pain. "Tomahawk is gonna kill me!"

He turned his comm on and rerouted his power lines into his comm system. The surge only lasted a millisecond before he felt his body seized with intense pain, greater than anything he ever felt before. He gnashed his teeth together to keep himself from screaming. It was like every circuit membrane in his body was on fire or doused in acid.

'Come on, Rodimus. Pull it together!' Rodimus gritted his teeth and sent his message. "T-this is Rodimus, c-calling for assistance at m-my location! I-is anyone receiving me?"

Rodimus managed to get his message out before the power surge forced his systems to shut down and he passed out into stasis lock.

XXXXXX

"Just talk already you little glitch!" Shot growled as he snapped Dualor's left arm.

Dualor responded by spitting in Shot's face, earning a backhand that cracked his visor. Darren winced at the brutality but said nothing to stop it. They had been at this for almost twenty minutes but Dualor was surprisingly resilient.

"This isn't getting us anywhere. He won't squeal." Nightscream sighed.

"I know, and we're running out of time." D-Va glanced at Darren, who was doing his best to not let the torture session bother him too much. She was glad that he was trying to be strong for her sake, but she was a bit hesitant to ask him of what would definitely unsettle him. "Darren, I know I have no right to ask this of you after everything I've done, but…"

"Huh?" Darren was confused as she paused mid-sentence. "D-Va, what-"

"Shh! I'm getting a transmission!" She said. "It's a distress signal!"

Darren and Nightscream crowded around her. "Who is it from?"

"An Autobot…Rodimus," She replied. "He says he's at the main OZ base!"

"Gaia," Darren gasped. D-Va, can you track the signal?"

"I can, but we better get a move on. The signal's weak." Nightscream said.

"Okay," Darren nodded, but looked back at the beaten Dualor. "What about him? We can't just leave him here."

D-Va's face went cold at Dualor and she walked over to him. He glared up at her, sneering at her through energon coated teeth.

"What do you wa-"

BANG!

Everyone looked on in shock as D-Va fired a point blank laser bolt into Dualor's head, blasting apart his cranium in a gory shower of energon and metal shards. The Minicon slumped to the ground, dead at her feet and D-Va tossed the gun back to Nightscream.

"D-Va…" Darren whispered.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Darren, but it was necessary. Dualor chose his path and this is where it led him. Now we must travel ours." She looked at him. "Come, time's wasting and we're losing daylight."

"Y-yes!" He nodded and ran back to his transector.

It was time to end this.

XXXXXX

"Optimus!" Tomahawk ran into the command center, nearly knocking over Jazz. "Optimus, we've found him!"

"Who, Tomahawk?" Optimus asked.

"Rodimus! We just got an emergency message from him. He says he's at OZ's headquarters!" She exclaimed, looking more excited by the second.

"Prime," Prowl turned to Optimus. "We've just found our window."

Optimus nodded and stood up. "Have you tracked his signal?"

"It was weak, but we pinpointed his location. We can ground bridge to his coordinates immediately." She said. Optimus nodded.

"Then let's assemble the Autobots and prepare for a counterstrike offensive. Sunstreaker and Darren must be held in the seat of the Zodiac's power in this nation."

Tomahawk saluted him. "Understo-"

"Optimus, we got a problem!" Gina and Sparkplug ran between Tomahawk's legs and up to Prime.

"Oh what now?" Jazz groaned.

"Teletran just detected three airborne heat signatures heading our way, and one of them is massive!" Sparkplug announced. "They're airships!"

"And they're multiple signatures appearing a few miles from our position." Gina added. "They're already numbering in the fourties and counting!"

The Autobots' Sparks dropped at the news. This was it-OZ was beginning its endgame.

XXXXXX

"Megatron, we have a situation." Nightshade called out.

"Hm?" Megatron walked over to the comm-station where Nightshade was standing with Leader-1 and Search. "What is it?"

"Our computers are detecting multiple heat sigs on sonar. They're coming from the ocean." Leader-1 reported.

Megatron's eyes narrowed. "Autobots?"

"No. We're not getting familiar energon readings. These signatures…they're already in the double-digits. And we're also getting a large aircraft approaching us from the south."

Megatron looked at the monitor and saw the large blip on the radar screen slowly getting closer to the island. According to Nightshade, this aircraft was almost the same size as an aircraft carrier. How did they get so close without being detected by now?

"Lord Megatron!" Knockout ran over to the window. "Look!"

Megatron looked outside and failed to hide his surprise as he saw the ocean begin to pull apart in a biblical display. The seas along the shore of Decepticon island from the beach outwards slowly separated to reveal an unsettling sight. Walking along the ocean floor was an army of Barricades!

XXXXXX

Aries stood within his command center with Thornment and Scorpio, ready to give his announcement for the most historical moment in OZ's recent history-the annihilation of the Autobots and Decepticons.

The invasion was held on two fronts; Pisces would lead an airship fleet consisting of two Bullhorn military airships and a massive aerial aircraft carrier battleship known as the Septentrion that will start off the attack by deploying two squadrons of Vipers. He would also lead the Sunstreaker army on the ground to attack the Ark directly. Aquarius also had the same amount of airships, two regular Zephyr class airships and a massive battleship carrier called the Alioth. Her army of Barricades would attack from the sea, where they would storm the beaches of Decepticon Island. Both forces would commit all their resources to combating the cybertronian threat and gaining the advantage they need to rule Terra and humanity!

Now, it was time to give his completely improvised and on the spot speech for the troops.

"My brothers, my sisters, today we stand on the verge of total victory. For nearly a year we've been forced to contend with the cybertronians interfering with our noble crusade to have Terra ascend into a true paradise. All our planning, all our sacrifices, rendered moot thanks to some self-styled conqueror and an idealist with a bleeding heart. But today, that will end. We will show the Autobots, the Decepticons, and any other alien that mankind is under our protection, and OZ will defend its millennium kingdom! Once we eliminate the cybertronian scourge, the rest of the universe will look upon us in awe as we did what they could not!" Aries began.

"Now, all of you know how the operation goes. They may be stronger, but we outnumber them. Storm the Ark and Nemesis and overwhelm them with superior numbers and heavy firepower. Kill all but Prime and Megatron, and seize control of the two starships. Once the Autobots and Decepticons are gone, we will have the means to continue our mission to evolve mankind into a higher state of being. Humanity's fate belongs to OZ, and OZ belongs to the Zodiac! Go forth, and show them that Terra is our world! For Her Majesty!"

"FOR HER MAJESTY!" The other Zodiac chanted, their eyes glowing a luminous amber gold.

In the Pacific Ocean, Aquarius channeled her esper powers over water through her talos into the waters around her. She manipulated the water around Decepticon Island, smirking at the awestruck looks on the Decepticons' faces as the Barricade army charged out of the parted seas and onto the beaches. With a snap of her fingers, Aquarius froze the parted waters in a fantastic display, and hung back to watch the slaughter begin.

In Delpoi the airships were slowly approaching the Ark's resting place, deploying Viper fighter jets to attack the ship in a preliminary assault. The airships themselves were ordered to hang back until the Ark's anti-aircraft guns were taken out. As for Pisces himself, he stood with his headmaster army two miles away, his body tense and crackling with energy. When he heard the first shots fired, he smirked and roared to the heavens.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He exploded in a burst of energy that was like a lightning bolt striking the heart of the forest. From this storm came a massive giant humanoid with skin covered in white armored plates from head to toe. This was the second form of Pisces, the Armored Titan form that his soldiers only heard stories about. With his armor plated eyes staring forward, he charged into the forest, with his army following close behind.

Aries crossed his arms behind his back as he watched his brother and sister commit everything to this momentous occasion. "Bring them to their knees!"

* * *

 **The beginning of the end. I know I said I was going to update Distant Stars first, but I figured I might as well get the last chapters done anyway. These last few chapters were hell to write, but it was worth it in the end. And I'm sure you guys will be excited to see how the invasion turns out. Thanks for reading guys, I really appreciate it, and I'd appreciate it even more if you guys left some reviews to tell me what you thought on the story. It helps pump me up!**


	42. The Divine Comedy-Purgatario

Chapter 42-The Divine Comedy-Purgatario

It would've been an odd sight to see-a yellow muscle car surrounded by a magenta motorcycle, a miniature dark gray sports car and miniature versions of standard military vehicles. One would think that they were remote control vehicles if they weren't the size of a human.

It was sunset now, and the group of fighters had spent almost an hour reaching their destination-Epsilon Holdings' main headquarters. From the outside, it looked like a normal estate belonging to the CEO of a military contractor, but the Autobot and Minicons knew better. This was the seat of power for OZ in Delpoi, and it was probably the most dangerous place in the southwest.

"I can feel it, Darren. My head." Sunstreaker said.

"Me too. This really is the place." Darren said. Despite being a holo-avatar, Darren could still feel his heart pounding. They were in the wolf's den now, and that means they were going to be fighting…killing from here on out.

Nightscream led them to the fenced off perimeter of the massive facility where they pulled to a stop.

"What are we waiting for?" Sunstreaker revved up his engine impatiently. "Let's go!"

"We still need a plan of attack." D-Va said, already annoyed by the Autobot's lack of competency in battle. "We have no idea how to get in without alerting the patrols and as strong as we are, we'll get shot down before we can make a move."

Sunstreaker transformed and detached Darren from his body. The boy took on his humanoid form and walked over to the gate. He ignored Sunstreaker's constant nagging in his head and turned to D-Va.

"What can we do?" He asked.

"For now, scout the area and see an opening we can exploit. Then we move on from there." She said. Then she realized that Nightscream was missing. "Wait, where's-"

"Guys, I found an Autobot!" Nightscream yelled.

"Ugh," Rodimus groaned. He felt so weak and it hurt to move, but somehow, by the grace of Primus, he was alive. His optics flickered back online and the first thing he saw were three Minicons standing over him. "Uh…hey, little guys."

"He's awake!" Crack shouted, making Rodimus wince.

"Not so loud." He groaned. A large shadow fell over him and Rodimus saw a Sunstreaker clone standing over him. "W-what? No!"

"Relax, Rodimus, I'm the real deal," Sunstreaker said. He looked up and shot the two headmasters approaching the hole blown into the wall. "More or less."

"Anyway, thanks, you've given me an opening we were looking for. Find yourself a place to hole up. I'll be back for you-eh?" Sunstreaker tugged his foot out of Rodimus's grasp. "Hands off the merchandise!"

"You can't do this alone. It's not just Thornment-she and Aries have a whole army in there!" He coughed.

"I know." Sunstreaker shrugged. "That's the whole point. Once I'm in…it's a case of getting lost in the crowd."

"Slag. Listen to me, Sunstreaker. We need help…heavy hitters."

"Fine. Whatever. Call in the Calvary." Sunstreaker marched right past him and into the warehouse. "But right now, I'm going to find my head. My real head!"

"That arrogant, ignorant, insufferable…" Rodimus's curses devolved into a series of rough coughs that shook his frame.

"Relax, Rodimus. If we got your message, then so have the Autobots. But time is not on our side." D-Va took out her soplistic staff and jogged after Sunstreaker. "I'm going after him. You guys hide his body and do what you can to repair him."

"Sure, we'll do that." Nightscream sighed. He clapped his hands and turned to the Land Military Team. "Well, let's do some heavy lifting boys! This mech's not gonna move himself."

Inside the warehouse, Sunstreaker had to contend with Darren's mental curses thrown at him.

"I know, I know. Old habits and all that! But you don't understand, Darren. I've had enough of waiting, enough of caution." He growled. "Each moment I delay, my mind is pillaged and pulled in a hundred different directions at once, and, well…a little bit more of me dies."

XXXXXX

"Decepticons, kill them!" Megatron roared. "Kill them all!"

Megatron didn't need to give the rallying cry, the Decepticons were already mobilizing to route the enemy fighters being deployed from the airship and the Barricade clones. Demolishor took his tank mode and fired pulse blasts at the oncoming army. Dreadwing led the Seekers against the enemy air support, meeting the Vipers in aerial combat.

Megatron and Nightshade met the headmaster army with Rumble and Frenzy, ripping into the frontlines with great ferocity. Rumble and Frenzy assaulted the headmasters with their innate abilities-Frenzy would scramble the headmasters minds while Rumble would hit them with his quake attacks, slamming his pile driver claws into the enemy mechs with bone crushing force. All the while Megatron ripped through their ranks with his bare hands, blasting apart dozens at a time with his fusion cannon.

"What the hell are these things?" Rumble growled, crushing the head of a headmaster in his claws before punching the body into another. "Where did they come from?"

"They're probably the fruits of OZ's experiments on Barricade's remains." Nightshade said, weaving through the clones and cutting them down with her swords, blasting some apart with Songbird's weapon mode, and using her bow to take out the targets farther out of her reach. "As for how they know our location-yet another result of them poking around in his head."

"At this point, we might as well put up a damn flag that shows we're here!" Megatron shouted and tore a headmaster in half. He was taking direct hits from the clones, but they weren't lethal. However, he was taking heavy fire and his body was already sporting serious burns along his armor.

Megatron punched and shot, but he knew he wasn't making much of a difference. For all the damage he, Nightshade, Demolishor, Frenzy and Rumble were doing, more would replace the fallen and attack them from all sides. Not to mention the Seekers were busy waylaying the fighters from bombarding the island with bombs and missiles. The only saving grace was that the headmasters were coming from the beach along and had to charge within firing range of the Nemesis' guns. "Leader-1, fire the proton torpedoes!"

The Minicon pressed a button and the Nemesis' guns locked onto the clones, firing a volley of high speed projectiles at the swarm. Leader-1 couldn't hide the satisfaction at seeing those human toys get blasted apart. Serves them right for thinking they could storm their island!

"Maintain fire on the beach! Nightshade, find the-agh!" Megatron hissed a jet of highly pressurized water pierced his armor at the shoulder and dug into his joint. He stumbled back and saw a blue talos in the distance, hovering atop a water spout. The Zodiac Aquarius. "Nightshade!"

She was already on the job, shifting to beast mode and flying toward the Zodiac. Nightshade heard a lot about this human from Starscream and she was prepared to wipe this bitch out of existence.

"Hello there!" Aquarius grinned in her talos. She waved her unit's arms ad sent two large water drills spiraling toward the Con. "I never got to fight you before!"

Nightshade spun in the air, weaving around the spinning water with ease, but the water stayed on her tail, tracking her like heat seeking missiles. Like snakes, they snapped at her tail feathers and coiled in the air in an attempt to snatch her out of the air. Nightshade flew as close as she could to Aquarius before transforming and firing an arrow from Gandiva.

Aquarius summoned a wall of ice to block the arrow, and the arrow exploded against the ice, shattering the wall. Aquarius escaped unharmed, but Nightshade shot through the ice shards and slammed into her talos.

"I'll crush your body in my hands, meat sack!" Nightshade hissed.

"You're welcome to try, bitch!" Aquarius grinned savagely.

Dreadwing, Thundercracker and Skywarp were quickly taking control of the skies, eliminating the enemy aircraft with ease, as they used their long line of experience in aerial combat to take out the humans. Powerlinked with Ariel, Dreadwing's special ability manifested as hard light shields that would be generated from different parts of his jet mode, or from his arms in robot mode. They were useful in taking hits from missiles while he ran a Viper down until it was torn apart by his laser guns. When it looked like the Vipers were widdled down for now, Dreadwing gave his team new orders.

"You two, take out the two airships escorting the carrier! I'll handle the big one myself!" He ordered.

Thundercracker and Skywarp didn't question him as they split apart and flew towards the two smaller airships hovering with the Alioth. Dreadwing mentally asked Ariel if she was ready, and the Minicon responded with a surge of energy that showed her newfound confidence. Happy to see that the traumatized femme was prepared for the difficult fight ahead, Dreadwing flew for the battleship.

The Alioth and Septentrion were the first of their kind; airships that were built to be aerial warships made in the image of Dreadnought Battleships. They were primarily heavy assault vehicles, with a secondary function as command and control. The Alioth and Septentrion shared the same design, and they were an imposing sight. They featured heavy energy and particle cannons mounted at the base of their wings and lighter armaments like missile tubes at a number of other reinforced hardpoints on the armored exterior. There was also a hangar bay that held twelve Viper aircraft, though they were just to wear the enemy down.

Dreadwing knew that he was tempting fate by attacking this behemoth alone, even if he was powerlinked, but he had to take it down. It posed too great a threat to the Nemesis. When the particle cannons swerved to take aim, he dived low to avoid the large energy bursts that were fired at him. Te sky around the Alioth was peppered with explosions as they tried to shoot down Dreadwing, who was too fast to lock onto. He fired four missiles as its underside, hitting the hangar bay, but he knew he only did superficial damage to its heavy armor. He ascended to the upper deck and was assaulted by a volley of missiles fired at him. Dreadwing transformed and shot them down before they could get close, though some would hit Ariel's shields and knock him off balance.

"Dreadwing, we can't take this much fire on our own! My shields can only hold for so long." Ariel said in his mind.

"Scrap." Dreadwing growled and switched to jet mode, firing his laser cannons at the upper deck, targeting the weak points as much as possible. "Dreadwing to Nemesis, I need a grid scan of the battleship to assess its weak points-"

" _Dreadwing_!" Thundercracker yelled over the comm. " _We have a problem!"_

"What is it?"

" _We have a bunch of humans on top of the two airships and their lobbing some serious firepower our way! I don't know if they're espers or something, but they're keeping us at arm's length!"_ Thundercracker said.

Dreadwing flew up and saw that the two airship escorts were surrounded by rings of azure energy that were laced with spheres that would explode with great force. Skywarp and Thundercracker were forced to dodge and weave to avoid getting blown out of the sky as they Inhumans tried to rip them apart. Dreadwing didn't even try to fool himself into thinking they had a chance now.

Meanwhile, Aquarius and Nightshade fought furiously. Nightshade still had a strong hold on the Hydrakhoos and was trying to grapple it, but Aquarius pushed her off and spun around, cracking a razor sharp water whip at the femme. Nightshade leaned back to avoid being beheaded, but she still got cut in her cheek. She boosted backwards and fired her railgun, which Auqarius avoided and drew the moisture around her in a large sphere.

"I didn't peg you for a coward!" Nightshade shouted and took aim with Gandiva.

"Coward? You're one to talk. Pisces ran you and your boy toy off in a single hour!" Aquarius cackled and sent the water sphere exploded outward, freezing the water as it hit Nightshade.

Nightshade grunted as she was covered in a light layer of frost that almost sent her falling, but she quickly regained her balance…only to have the Hydrakhoos rush in and punch her in the face. Nightshade fell back and flipped under the talos, flanking Aquarius. She tried to stab the unit in the face, but Aquarius smacked her away with a liquid tentacle.

"You don't know when to quit!" Aquarius snarled. "You big robots like stomping over us tiny fleshies, don't ya? Well, let's see how you'll feel when you're the one being stomped on!"

Aquarius cut the power in her water spout and allowed her talos to fall into the ocean, narrowly avoiding another one of Gandiva's arrows as she crashed into the waves.

"Did you get her?" Megatron asked as Nightshade landed beside him. "There's only one answer to that question."

"Then you're going to be disappointed." Nightshade hissed back, not in the mood for his temper.

"Lord Megatron, Nightshade, look!" Demolishor ran beside them and pointed at the water. "The water's moving!"

The Decepticons looked to the ocean, where they saw a large whirlpool forming a mile from the shore. It was massive, swirling with such intensity that a luxury cruiser would be dragged in and torn apart. The water spun faster and faster before it rose into the air and began to form a massive figure.

It was another one of Aquarius's ice constructs, but this one was the largest she had ever created. It was basically a humanoid upper torso, with long arms ending with skinny hands tipped with sharp claws and jagged spikes stick out of its arms and shoulders. As If to hammer in her narcissism, its face was sculpted in a complete replica of Aquarius's. It stared down at them, standing 30 meters over the island from its torso alone.

Inside the construct, Aquarius smirked down at the shocked and awed Decepticons. "Now who're the gods?"

XXXXXX

The Septentrion deployed its twelve Viper squadron as it neared the volcano holding the Ark, then remained in position on Pisces' orders. Jetfire and Tomahawk were deployed to hold off the fighters, using their superior aerial combat skills to substitute their inferior numbers. Two were already shot down, while the Ark's still operating weapons were locked on the airships in the distance.

"Do you think those airships are armed?" Sparkplug asked.

"Maybe, I doubt OZ would let normal airships within shooting range of our guns." Optimus said. "Prowl, how many ground units are there?"

"Almost sixty, a literal army." Prowl said grimly. "And they're all those headmasters Rodimus told us about. And I'm also getting a large heat signature leading the charge."

"That must be one of the Zodiac. An operation this large can't be left alone to a grunt." Jazz said. "What's the play, boss bot?"

Optimus was about to answer when he heard a roar coming from down the hall. "Let me go!"

He ran into the hall and saw Ratchet and Flashpoint struggling to keep the Dynobots from leaving. "Grimlock, you can't just march out there without proper orders from-"

"Screw orders! Those bastards have come for round three and we're ready to pay them back in full!" Grimlock shouted at Ratchet. "Don't try to stop us, Ratchet. Those slagheaps are going to get there's!"

"Grimlock!" Optimus called out as he walked up to them. "Enough of this!"

"Don't even try, Prime! We want payback for all the slag those humans put us through!" Slag yelled.

"I know, which is why I'm sending your team on an important mission." Optimus said, catching their attention. "We've just got a distress signal from Rodimus. He's found OZ's main headquarters and needs our help. With the headmaster army poised to storm the Ark, I can't spare a single Autobot in defense of the Ark, so you Dynobots are going to hit them where it hurts."

Sludge blinked. "But, the headmasters…"

"If we want to gain an advantage in this battle, you need to hit them at their base. Rescue Rodimus, Sunstreaker, and Darren, and destroy the hub that's controlling these headmasters." Optimus didn't hide the implications behind this order. "You want revenge against the people who enslaved you? Well, you'll find them there."

Grimlock stared down at Optimus for a moment before nodding. "Fine. We'll take out those bastards. But what are you going to do?"

"What do you think?" Optimus's voice was low and actually a bit menacing, the only hint at his anger at OZ for this turn of events. Grimlock almost felt sorry for those humans. An angry Optimus was a dead enemy.

Outside, the headmaster army charged through the forest towards the volcano that held the Ark. at their lead was Pisces, now in his giant Armored Titan form, his white plated armor bright in the dark forest. Though he could not speak, his soldiers could tell that Pisces was very satisfied with taking the fight to the Autobots for them ruining his Inhuman project, which was just barely hanging on thanks to the shortage of Femto stones.

As they closed in on the Ark, close enough to see its massive golden form between the trees, Pisces noticed something that made him pause. It was a line of tall figures standing in front of the ship. Upon seeing the blue of their eyes in the shadows of the trees, Pisces skidded to a stop and hid behind a tree before the fireworks popped off.

"Autobots!" Optimus Prime bellowed. "Open fire!"

An intense volley of plasma bursts, photon blasts and missile fire hit the first wave of headmasters with surprising accuracy. The unsuspecting mechanoids were blown apart mercilessly by the wall of energy fire that tore into them easily. Pisces took cover behind the tree, surprised at the lack of restraint the Autobots showed to the clones of their dear friend, and the lack of mercy when it came to gunning them down. He thought they would've at least hesitated as fighting humans.

'Prime must know it's a do or die situation.' Pisces thought. 'At least he's not entirely spineless.'

Two dozen headmasters were taken out from the Autobot's first assault, and the others had the sense to finally fire back at them. Wheeljack dropped a couple of overcharge shields to block the blasts and mitigate the damages. Prowl calculated the number of enemies they would be fighting and grimaced.

"Prime, we won't be able to hold this position for long." He said. "If their advance becomes too heavy, we might be forced to pull back."

"Then we cause as much damage to them as possible!" Optimus transformed to his truck mode and drove straight into a group of clones, switching back to robot mode and swinging his battle ace in a sweeping arc that cut them all in half at once. "Don't let any one of them near the Ark. Use lethal force if you have to." Optimus took out his ion cannon and started shooting them. "Show them that we won't tolerate intruders on our home!"

XXXXXX

Sunstreaker drove through the large halls of the OZ central base, deep under the mansion above ground. Neither he nor Darren knew how large this base was, and fortunately, the other headmasters patrolling the area paid them no mind. Sunstreaker's little gamble was actually paying off.

"It's close. Can you feel it, Darren? It's right here." Sunstreaker transformed to robot mode and looked around. He could feel his head close by, resonating with his and Darren's mental synapses. "Its close enough…to touch…"

He was about to turn down one of the corridors when a beam tore through his chest from behind. Pain erupted through his connection with Darren and he collapsed to the floor, his body failing almost immediately. Down the hall, Thornment walked up to him, having taken the shot in her alt mode.

"There. Did you think I wouldn't know the moment you set foot on this base?" She laughed. "Every one of the headmasters bears its own unique recognition stamp. We took precautions in case anyone tried to run off with your investment. Truly, your hubris knows no limits."

Thornment stood over Sunstreaker, ready to tear off his head and crush the human inside…only to find the head missing.

"NO!" Thornment screamed. She looked around the dark halls for any sign of the human, but saw no sign of Darren.

Darren was crouched in a corner out of sight, holding Excalibur close to him. He was hunched over in pain, sweating profusely, suffering from the phantom pain he took upon having his transector mortally damaged. It was agonizing!

"Where do you think you can hide, boy? How long do you think you'll last?" Thornment yelled into the darkness. "Alone…in terrible, unspeakable pain, nursing a hole in the very fabric of what you might call a soul. Let it end-now."

Darren panted and closed her eyes, trying to block her out. Excalibur hummed and vibrated in his grasp. Still she continued. "I promise you it will all end before you even know it!"

On a nearby screen, Scorpio's face appeared on the monitor, looking less than pleased. "Thornment, we have a problem."

"What?!" She spat. "What could be so pressing, Scorpio, that you cannot simply deal with it yourself?"

"A ground bridge just opened up in our front yard and five Autobots just hopped out." Scorpio was smirking at her, despite the circumstances. "You should be familiar with them."

If Thornment had skin, it would've gone pale. "The Dynobots!"

Outside, the Land Military team and Nightscream paused in their little repair session of Rodimus when they heard the headmaster patrols running for the courtyard. Nightscream looked up and saw missile pods, auto-guns, rocket launchers and plasma cannons rise up from hidden compartments along the ground and buildings.

"What's going on?" He asked. He jumped as he heard as a monstrous roar pierced the silence, followed by explosions. "Whoa…"

Rodimus smirked. "Looks like the Dynobots are back for round two."

XXXXXX

The ice colossus loomed over Decepticon Island like an oppressive monolith, its human-like face staring down at them almost mockingly despite the lack of emotion. Megatron could see the Hydrakhoos encased within its torso like a heart and called out to his forces.

"L-lord Megatron, what do we do?" Demolishor asked.

"What do you think? We keep killing these cheap imitations!" He shouted. "Nightshade, take the Seekers and bring that thing down!"

Nightshade and the three Seekers flew into the air to gain some altitude before shooting for the construct in formation. The colossus slowly turned towards them before lifting its arm and throwing a massive fist at them. The flyers broke formation and flew around the arm, spinning around the limb while firing their missiles and dropping bombs as they neared its face. They broke apart to circle around for another strike and the colossus lashed out with another punch. Again, they easily avoided its fist and flew along the length of its arm towards its face.

'It's large, but it's slow. Aquarius traded superior mobility for increased physical power and defense.' Dreadwing thought.

'Damn fool. She can barely move in that form, let alone touch us.' Nightshade thought. But she noticed that the damage done to its body from the missiles were sealing over. 'Causing serious damage to it's going to be hard. As long as it's connected to the water, it can't be seriously damaged long enough to get to her. I might have to use Gandiva.'

"Dreadwing, keep shooting at it from the front. I'm going to attack its flank!" Nightshade said and circled around to its back. Dreadwing, Thundercracker and Skywarp opened fire with their missiles and guns, peppering its face and chest. Almost immediately, the holes they left started to close from drawing upon the moisture in the air and water.

Nightshade reached its back and shifted forms, drawing Gandiva's string back and charging for a powerful arrow."Goodbye."

As if on cue, right when Nightshade released the bow string, the colossus released a powerful cloud of ice cold water vapor from its body. Nightshade and the Seekers fell back from the blistering cold that washed over them. Nightshade tried to take another shot, but Songbird sent her a mental impulse.

"Mistress, the vapor!" Songbird cried out. "It's freezing over!"

Nightshade's eyes went wide as she saw the layer of ice creeping along her armor at a rapid pace. "Slag!"

"Nightshade, we must fall back or we'll freeze from the inside out!" Dreadwing said.

Nightshade scowled. "Seekers, pull back. Focus on taking out the airships for now."

Megatron saw the flyers breaking contact with the colossus and yelled up at Nightshade. "What the hell are you doing? Kill her!"

"Lord Megatron," Leader-1 called. "I just detected five heat sources being launched from the battleship. I think they're cruise missiles!"

Megatron's eyes widened; the Nemesis was strong enough to go toe to toe with Autobot battleships, but in the state it was right now, it wouldn't last again five hits from cruise missiles. Something had to be done and fast!

XXXXXX

The battle of the Ark was just a few minutes in and already blood was being shed. Jetfire and Tomahawk continued to take out the Vipers, and then turned to set their sights on the airships, only to meet heavy resistance from the inhumans posted on the catwalks underneath the aircrafts. The darkening sky was alight with blue flames and crackling energy bolts that laced the surrounding air around the airships with explosions.

The Ark, though half buried in the volcano, still had enough of its weapons operational to still be considered a threat. The particle combustion cannons targeted the airships and opened fire on them. Though slightly out of range, some good shooting on Arcbeetle's part allowed them to score a hit on the side of one of the smaller ships, hitting its propellers. This threw the airship off balance, causing a few inhumans to dangle off the catwalk on tethers. Another well placed shot hit the ship directly in its gondola, killing the flight screw and the inhumans near them. The airship slowly descended into the forest, hitting the ground and exploding in a fiery display that incinerated half a mile of forested land.

Team Prime fought the headmasters with a ferocity that caught even Pisces off guard. With most of them empowered by their Minicon allies, the Autobots showed no hesitance in shooting down the human-controlled mechs. Optimus in particular was almost brutal in his disposing of the clones, cutting them down with his battle blade and shooting them without a glance.

Arcee, empowered by her powerlink with Peppercat, was a pink blur. Using her increased speed, she sprinted past the clones, slashing away with her swords and moving too quick to be caught. Jazz froze them with his cryo-blaster, while Moonracer sniped a few targets from her position atop the Ark's thrusters. Wheeljack and Prowl provided their own flare to the battle, with the former shooting his gryo-inhibitor shells and shrapnel rockets from his shoulder cannons, and Prowl exploding a few heads with his exploding throwing stars.

"We're cutting down easily enough, but more keep coming!" Wheeljack said. "Why aren't they completely storming us? They could've easily overrun our position."

"They know about the Ark's defenses. We still have sixteen laser emitters in reserve and they'll be torn apart if they get too close-gah!" Prowl went down when a heat blast hit the back of his leg, making him fall.

Wheeljack jumpe over to him and threw his energo-whip, slashing the attacker in two. "Prowl, you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, and this proves my other point," Prowl grunted, trying not to put too much weight on his injured leg. "We're a major threat. They have to take us out before even thinking about."

"Very astute." Wheeljack noted. He saw something flying at them and looked up. It was a headmaster body! "Incoming!"

They jumped aside as the half bisected mechanoid slammed into the ground. More bodies were thrown into the air at the Autobots, some missed, though Moonracer was knocked off her perch by a headmaster's upper torso crashing into her. Prowl saw that these corpse launches were getting tossed at great speeds at them and saw who was doing the lobbing.

"It's him!" Prowl pointed at the white armored giant grabbing clone bodies and throwing them like iron balls. "The Zodiac!"

Prowl and Wheeljack fired their weapons at Pisces, but their energy attacks and shells were ineffective against his diamond-hard armor. Prowl threw a couple of stars at his head, but Pisces swatted them away, not caring about the detonations on his arm. He looked at the two Autobots and rolled his shoulders before running at them in a full sprint.

"He's charging us!" Wheeljack exclaimed.

"I know!" Prowl yelled.

Pisces angled his body to make his shoulder into a battering ram, intent on smashing the Autobots apart in his charge. About a foot away from them, a red form slammed into him, cutting his momentum short and knocking him over. Pisces stumbled and glared at the offender-the Autobot Ironhide.

"Miss me?" Ironhide grinned. Despite being significantly shorter than Pisces, he heaved and lifted the Zodiac into the air above him. His hydraulics screamed and whirled, but Ironhide fought through the exertion and threw Pisces to the side.

The giant flew a yard before crashing to the ground, smashing apart a couple of headmasters in his landing and skidding through the dirt, hitting his back in a tree. Pisces growled and stood up as Ironhide walked over to him.

"If guns don't hurt ya," Ironhide cracked his knuckles. "Then how about a good old fashioned fist to the face?"

Pisces vented hot steam from his body and charged at Ironhide. He threw a punch at the red Autobot's face, but Ironhide ducked under his arm and slammed a fist into his armored face. The blow chipped from armor off Ironhide's knuckles, and if he wasn't so densely armored, he would've broken his hand on his face. But he was able to make Pisces stagger back a bit. He threw a quick kick to Pisces' abdomen-a clean hit. Despite his armor, the blow seemed to reach Pisces' core. Flying with the force of a cannon ball, his body collided with a nearby tree and uprooted it.

Ironhide, who landed the first blow, maintained his edge. He struck again and again and Pisces staggered and forgot his footwork. Still, as time passed, Ironhide's blows began to fail more and more gradually. The durability of Pisces' thick skin bolstered both his offense and defense, and Ironhide was clearly getting worn down. He swung his fists less frequently, and began to assume a more reactive posture. His fists were scratched severely, the armor on his knuckles work away, and any crack that appeared on Pisces' armored skin immediately healed.

Sensing Ironhide's weakening stamina, Pisces took advantage to land a few blows of his own. On his head, side, torso and thighs, Pisces mercilessly rained down blows that would've finished off a less armored Autobot.

Eventually, Ironhide leaned against a tree, his body sporting indents and his face leaking energon from his bruises. Certain of victory, Pisces relaxed a little and he marched forward, taking excruciating amount of time on each step, as if relishing the hunt. Ironhide looked too exhausted to move as Pisces stood over him, white glassy eyes shining like headlights. Summoning strength into his limbs, Ironhide rerouted power to the fuel lines in his right arm and leapt forward, punching Pisces in the face with everything he had…

Only for Pisces to reach in a heartbeat, returning the punch with one of his own. Pisces' fist hit Ironhide's face dead on, slamming into him with enough force to shatter the optic lens over his left eye. The punch sent Ironhide sailing through the air, smashing through multiple soldiers before hitting the base of a tree thirty feet away. Jazz, who was almost hit by the flying Autobot, ran over to Ironhide's side.

"Hide! What happened to ya, man?" Jazz checked his friend over. "Come on, old timer, now's not the time for nappin'."

Pisces took a moment to appraise his work before getting into a crouch. Pushing off the ground in a sprint, Pisces charged at the two Autobots, fully intending to finish off both Jazz and Ironhide in one blow. But his charge was cut short once again by an ion blast hitting him in the side of his head. He stumbled from the attack and tripped over his feet, hitting the ground in a roll. He glared at his attacker and growled.

"Your fight is with me, Zodiac." Optimus said, holstering his ion cannon. "And rest assured, I'm not so easy to beat."

Pisces accepted the challenge without hesitation. Another chance to fight Prime meant another chance to lord his victory over Aries.

XXXXXX

Darren's condition slowly improved as he walked deeper into the facility. He heard the sounds of battle up top and knew that things were starting to kick off. He could feel Sunstreaker pulling him towards where his missing head is, and allowed the Autobot to guide him toward their destination, but the Autobot's voice was faint in his mind.

"Keep talking, Sunny. I need to keep from passing out." Darren said. He felt another tingle run up his arm and glanced down at Excalibur. "And whatever you're doing, keep doing it. I think I can run without coiling like a snake."

He turned a corner and yelped as a pulse blast shot dangerously close to his face, nearly singeing his hair. A large form charged at him from down the hall and he raised Excalibur just in time to block the large metal fist aimed at his head. He was knocked back off his feet, hitting the floor hard before rolling to his feet.

"You got to be kidding me." Darren groaned as he saw his attacker.

It was Heavy Metal, the only other Minicon gestalt aside from Centurion in the Minicon's combiner program. She stood tall and strong, unrelenting as the final obstacle in his path.

"Aries told me about you. You're one of the humans that attacked the moonbase." Heavy Metal slammed her fists together. "You destroyed deca-cycles of work, you hairless ape!"

"The Cons had a hand in that too, you crazy three faced psycho!" Darren growled.

"They are not here," Heavy Metal said. "But you are."

She sprinted forward and Darren braced himself for the battle, but when she got near him, a pink blur flipped over him-it was D-Va. D-Va kicked Heavy Metal in the chest and stabbed her staff into her shoulder. Te violent electrical jolt that lanced through her joint caused Heavy Metal to stumble back and fall to her knees.

"Darren, run!" D-Va yelled, jamming her staff deeper into the gestalt.

"D-Va…"

"We're close enough to finish this, but we're running out of time. Just go!" She turned her green eyes to his and smiled. "I'll be fine, but this nightmare will only end when you get to the hub."

Darren clenched his teeth and nodded. Lifting Excalibur over his shoulder, he ran past them and down the hall. Only he could stop this now.

* * *

 **This was a crazy chapter, isn't it? Only two more chapters to go before this story is done! I am so hype right now it's not even funny! Thanks for reading and please leave a review!**


	43. The Divine Comedy-Paradiso

Chapter 43-The Divine Comedy-Paradiso

Debbie, Annie and Gina watched the battle rage outside the ship along with the rest of the Minicons that didn't take part in the fight. Everyone was dead silent as they watched their friends fight ceaselessly for them, knowing that lives were at stake.

"Annie," Debbie whispered. "Is this hell?"

"No, Debbie. But it's pretty close." Annie answered.

"How is the battle going so far?" Opal, an orange Minicon asked.

"Well, the Autobots are holding their own pretty nicely." Rollbar replied, checking the camera feeds. "But there are so many of these things. And there's still two airships hovering over our heads, one of them full of inhumans."

"Oh man, this is bad." Liftor groaned.

Gina abruptly stood up, catching everyone's attention as she marched out of the room. Sureshock followed after her.

"Where are you going?" Sureshock asked.

"Where do you think? I'm suiting up." Gina said, not slowing her stride. "Someone has to lay down those airships."

"No way." Sureshock said. "It's way too dangerous. You'll get shot down out here by yourself."

"We'll all die if those airships rain fire down on us. Those things aren't shooting at us now, but as soon as the Ark's weapons falter, we're in deep trouble.' Gina grabbed Sureshock's shoulders. "We all have to do something, no matter how dangerous. And I'm going to need your help. Ann's too."

"M-me?" Annie stared at her. "But, Gina, I'm missing an arm and an eye. What the hell can I do?"

Gina smirked. "You aren't a girl who let's that keep you down. And even so, I'll need Mjolnir for this outing."

Annie raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Something wicked," Gina smirked. "How do you feel about commandeering an airship?"

Outside, Jetfire and Tomahawk were still fighting the inhumans on the smaller airship. The wreckage of the first one still burned brightly from its crash thanks to the Ark's laser weaponry. A good portion of the forest was on fire and smoke suffocated the air.

As if the inhumans weren't bad enough, they also had to deal with the anti-aircraft weapons on the Septentrion. Missiles lit up the night sky as they were fired at the Autobots, who could only shot passing laser blasts at the airships before being chased off.

"We gotta think of something, Hawk!" Jetfire grunted as two missiles grazed his wings. "We can't keep playing shooting gallery with these guys!"

"I'm open to suggestions!" tomahawk snapped. She fired three missiles at a few gun turrets on the Alioth and then flew over to the smaller escort ship, shooting at the pilot gondola. But she had to break away to escape the distortion halos that were thrown her way. "We're not getting close like this!"

"Bugger, we need some help." Jetfire said.

"From who? We're the only ones that can't fly!" She replied.

As if to refute her claims, a giant green particle beam was fired from the burning forest below, piercing the escort ship from below, right through its gondola and through the armored balloon on top. Like its brother, the airship went up in flames and began to fall into the already raging inferno below. Jetfire and Tomahawk looked dumbfounded.

"How…" Jetfire began to ask, but Comettor called him out.

"Look below!"

A white blur appeared out of the trees, trailing a cloud of green sparkling energy in its wake. It was Athena, with its beam cannon extended and carrying something small in its arms. Comettor identified the tiny objects as some of the Minicons; namely Centurion, Undertone, the Space and Air Defense Teams and Sara and…Annie?

"What the hell is she doing?" Tomahawk questioned, astonished at the girl's bravery…or stupidity.

"Showing us bots how it's done." Jetfire said proudly. "Let's cover her!"

Gina hovered underneath the Alioth and pointed her cannon at where she knew the hangar was. She fired a beam that shot through the tough armor and made a sizzling hole on the inside. Pulling the hole open more with her hands, Athena raised its hand inside the ship and allowed Sara, Annie and the Minicons to climb up its arm into the hangar bay, where the airship personnel were trying to deal with the intruders.

"Annie!" Centurion yelled.

Annie charged up Mjonir's electricity and slammed it into the floor, dispersing a powerful electrical wave that blasted away the OZ soldiers coming to fight them. Centurion took the Space Team's hydra cannon mode and fired a powerful solar beam that destroyed the other aircraft in the hangar, clearing the path for them to take. Sara led the way with Annie in the middle of the tight circle of armed Minicons shooting down anyone with a gun.

This assault was a simple, but risky one. Gina's plan amounted to torching, or at least taking control, of the Alioth with a bunch of armed Minicons, Annie with Mjolnir and Sara rushing to clear a path to the bridge on top. Gina made it very clear that they were to fight the OZ soldiers with extreme prejudice. No holding back.

"Primus," Comettor whispered. His thermo-scans showed the Minicon assault team blasting their way from the hangar bay to the elevator lifts that would take them to the upper decks, which brought them closer to the airship's bridge. With the combination of Centurion's two gestalt weapons, the hydra cannon and the omni-saber, Sara and Undertone's already superb fighting skills, and the devastating power of Annie's Mjolnir, the soldiers posted to shoot them down were wiped out pretty quickly, and without mercy as well. Those who lived were those who stood aside and didn't try to fight back. "They're taking over the ship!"

"Say what?" Tomahawk said.

"Awesome!" Jetfire laughed.

"No, not awesome. The kids and Minicons are putting themselves in danger!"

"No, I'm taking out the most dangerous element in this fight. I'm taking out the initiative." Gina's voice ran through their comms. "I can't help the Dynobots save Darren, but I can help protect my second home!"

As she said that, the windows on the bridge deck were blow out by a powerful frag grenade. Comettor could see Sara and Centurion rushing in first to subdue the crew. Those that took out their weapons to fight, which was damn near the entire flight crew, were quickly dealt with by the bioroid and Minicon, with Annie providing some assistance.

"It's us or them. They made their choice," Gina continued coldly. "Now they'll die for it."

Sara and the Minicons took control of the stations, while Annie gleefully sat in the captain's chair, hammer in hand.

"Gina, we now have full operational control of the airship." Sara reported.

"Good." Gina's eyes were like glaciers as she gave her next order. "Activate the weapons systems and target the clone army down below. Wipe them off the face of this planet!"

XXXXXX

"This is madness." Froza mumbled. "This is insanity."

"What is? The battle outside or the ice giant beat the slag out of the Cons?" Downshift asked.

"Everything!"

"Hush!" Indy hissed. The Minicon team sneaked through the halls, trying to ignore the explosions rattling the ship. "We're close, so stay together and stay quiet. Knockout and Leader-1's cronies are still hovering around."

It was a risky plan given the fact that they were still sporting the master locks that transmitted their location outside the Nemesis. With the Barricade headmasters and airships attacking the Nemesis, Indy figured this was the perfect time to get off the ship and away from the island. By rights, they shouldn't have been able to try this in the first place, but thanks to Indy feigning shutdown multiple times during Knockout's attempts to disable the failsafe on their powerlink abilities, he managed to hold out as long as possible. The Skyboom shield was too delicate a weapon to lose.

With Ariel's help, he was able to release his teammates from their inhibitor clamps that hindered their transformation ability. But if they were caught, Skyboom shield or not, the y were dead.

"Are you sure this is the way to the ground bridge?" Forza whispered.

"Positive. Ariel knows where it is from her recon with Dreadwing." Indy said, peeking around a corner. "She verified it for me."

"And she didn't want to come with us?" Downshift asked.

"Ariel didn't want to leave Dreadwing. She said she owed him for saving her life." He said sadly. "She's been through a lot during the War for Cybertron, lost too many partners to the fighting. I guess she doesn't want to leave another."

"And Terradive's team?"

"They weren't able to get away from Songbird. They said to go without them." Indy answered, though he knew it was more than that. Terradive's team had begun taking a liking to the Decepticons, or at least Dreadwing. They found the idea of becoming top dog in the universe inviting, a great idea. To them, it was something to cater to their archaic bloodlust that they lorded over the other Minicons back on Moonbase Alpha. "Let's go."

"Go where, you little bastards?"

They froze as they saw Rook and Crosswise walking toward them, red eyes glinting in the purple light.

"Rook, Crosswise," Indy said, lifting a hand. "Don't do this."

"Do what?" Rook laughed.

"Our jobs?" Crosswise growled.

"Don't even think about it. You're Minicons, like us. We shouldn't be fighting like this." Downshift pleaded.

"We're Decepticons, you damn fool. We only went along with you slagheaps because Dualor forced us to." Rook said. "And when we're done with you…"

Rook knelt down and his upper body folded backwards, while Crosswise jumped on him, his legs doing the same. They connected at the torso and stood over the three Minicons as the two-mech combiner gestalt, Bishop.

"…Dualor and his mechs will die by our hands!" Bishop rumbled, stomping forward.

Bishop charged at them like a mad bull aiming to rip them to pieces. Indy wasn't even thinking hard when he gave the order to merge. "Combine!"

Indy, Forza and Downshift transformed and combined into a large golden shield just a few inches taller than Bishop. It generated a protective magnetic field along its surface just as Bishop threw a punch at them. The minute his fist hit the shield, the kinetic energy used in the punch was redirected back at Bishop, repelling him violently. The blast wave also pushed the targetmaster gestalt back down the hall, conveniently toward their destination.

Using the opportunity, the shield hovered along the ground and down the hall toward the shuttle bay, where the ground bridge was. The Race Team separated and Indy hopped onto the console, typing in randomized coordinates and pulling the lever.

"Come on, come on, come on!" Forza said, hopping in placed nervously. He jumped in joy as the ground bridge flared up. "Yes!"

Stop you little brats!" Knockout appeared in the doorway, wielding a plasma rifle in hand.

"No!" Forza cried.

"Go to hell, Con!" Indy said and jumped off the console just as Knockout fired at him. He combined with his friends and formed the Skyboom shield again, deflecting the blaster bolt the medic fired at them.

"Ah!" Knockout yelped as his reflected laser hit the wall near his face, and this distracted him long enough for the Minicons to hover into the portal, which instantly vanished. "NO!"

Knockout ran over to the controls to switch the bridge back on, but he was horrified to see that the computer had reset itself. he couldn't go after them as their last coordinates were deleted instantly. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no."

As Knockout tried to dispel his terrible blunder, he felt the Nemesis shake violently and heard loud explosions all along the already ravaged hull of the ship, from the upper deck to the engine room. Seconds later, Skywarp appeared.

"Skywarp, we have a problem!" Knockout said at breathtaking speeds. "Those Minicon combiners, that stupid racing team or whatever just flew the coop and-"

"Forget about that!" Skywarp yelled. "The ship just took three cruise missiles to its starboard and almost blew the bridge sky high. I need you to get us some reinforcements."

"Rein-who else can you bring in to help? Lugnut, Blackout, Skyquake, those thousands of Barricades trying to kill us outside? We're the only Cons on this planet you moron!" Knockout yelled. "Unless you want to give Flamewar a call. Just have everything go circle this time with her and those stupid Insecticons!"

Skywarp shook his head and glared at Knockout. "There is one person with the special ability to shut those tin cans and that airship down."

Knockout's eyes went wide and he shook his head. "No…no, we are not doing that. Megatron will have our heads and our Sparks!"

"We have to. Those clones are wearing us down and that ice giant is nano-seconds away from cracking this ship in half. We need to wake him up."

"Not listening!" Knockout put his hands to his audials, but Skywarp pulled his arms apart.

"We need Starscream."

XXXXXX

D-Va always wanted a crack at one of the gestalts Sparkplug made when she first heard about them. Combiners that have the strength of Rumble and the physical might of Frenzy was something that Minicons only dreamed about, and D-Va herself wished she had been one of the candidates for the gestalt program. But fighting Heavy Metal right now only mad her regret wishing for that.

The female gestalt was fast as she was strong and she displayed a crude but effective fighting style that forced her to avoid getting pulled in and given a bear hug that would snap her in two. She was forced to jump off the walls and leap over Heavy Metal, who chased her around the hall and tried to grab her for a fatal blow. D-Va landed on the floor and leapt back to avoid a sweeping kick at her head, spinning around to slash her staff across her chest.

Heavy Metal growled and dodged a stab from the staff, before snatching it and pulling D-Va forward. Cocking her fist back, she punched D-Va in the face and sent her flying back a few feet into a wall. D-Va spat out some energon and shook her head, cursing when she saw Heavy Metal charging at her. She flipped over the gestalt and tried to stab her staff into Heavy Metal's back, but she spun around and kicked D-Va in the chest.

"Why are you doing this?" D-Va coughed. "They're trying to wipe out our kind. Our people!"

"The Autobots and Decepticons are not our kind, and never will be." Heavy Metal growled. "They're war mongers that have torched our home and sent us running scared into the stars because they're too weak to finish each other off. And if the humans are our only solution to solving our problems, then so be it."

"Did you see what they've done to Sunstreaker and Barricade? That's all we are to them-hardware and machinery to be taken apart!" D-Va said, slowly edging backward from the advancing gestalt. "You're just as much expendable to OZ as the Destruction Team was, and they won't hesitate to desecrate your remains."

"You're one to talk. We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you sabotaging the Exodus!" Heavy Metal snarled. "We will gain our retribution for selling us out to the Cons you filthy traitor!"

"Heavy Metal, please…don't do this." D-Va pleaded one last time. "Think about what you're doing."

"Would you have offered that sentiment if we were begging for you to stop your madness?" Heavy Metal replied. "Don't preach what you can't practice!"

Heavy Metal lunged at D-Va, slamming both fists down on her. D-Va jumped aside and let the gestalt crash into the ground, causing the metal plates to cave in and break apart. D-Va spun her staff and stabbed it into Heavy Metal's back as hard as she could, piercing her spinal strut and going straight through her chest. Her Spark chamber was ruptured and Heavy Metal coughed up energon.

D-Va pulled her staff free and shoved a frag grenade into the hole she made. Pulling Heavy Metal close, she whispered, "When you go to hell, say hello to Dualor for me."

Kicking Heavy Metal away, she covered her face when the grenade exploded, blasting the gestalt apart in a ball of fire. D-Va felt no sympathy for the dead femmes that composed the combiner-she gave them an offer of mercy and they made the wrong choice. If this happened back in the day, she would've made their deaths far slower. She hissed as she touched her throbbing side, which was dented from that punch she took earlier.

"That's what I get for showing mercy." She grumbled and ran down the hall. "Now I got to help Darren before that kid runs into something else."

XXXXXX

Grimlock and the Dynobots stood in the Ark's shuttle bay waiting for Teletran-1 to fix on the coordinates for the ground bridge. The Dynobot leader was fully prepared for the intense battle ahead, though his team was still somewhat reluctant.

"Tell me again, Grimlock," Sludge said. "Why even bother about Thornment? Whatever she's up to here, I plainly don't care."

"Yeah, it's Prime's fight, not ours." Snarl agreed.

"Thornment made it our fight when she got into your heads, turned you against me." Grimlock growled, brandishing his energo-sword. "It's the Dynobot way."

"No. It's your way. It's always been about you. We were just along for the ride." Sludge muttered. His words lacked any rancor, which was probably why Grimlock had trouble looking at him. "Here, now-this is about your wounded pride. Tell me, Grimlock, does getting even matter so much, you're willing to take us all down with you?"

Teletran gave a confirmation signal and activated the ground bridge. Grimlock stared up at Sludge forlornly and turned around.

"No way I can let this go." He said, stomping toward the portal. "With you, without you…there'll be a reckoning!"

Grimlock charged into the bridge and reappeared inside the courtyard of Epsilon Holdings. There was already a battalion of Zygart talos ready to greet him, but before he could crush them underfoot, Snarl and Sludge burst out of the ground bridge with Swoop and Slag. Snarl rammed into the talos, ripping into them with his bare hands.

"Y'know, why even fight it?" Snarl rumbled. "I'd rather go down brawling here than keep on chasing a myth of what was…and can likely never be again!"

"Fellow Dynobots," Swoop fired two rockets at two Orions. "It's been an honor and a privilege-"

"Hey, hey," Sludge transformed to his beast mode and crushed a few headmasters under his bulk. "We ain't dead yet!"

In the control center, Thornment watched the battle with barely restrained anger. "Why isn't this over already? You, restore the neural clamps on the Dynobots."

"I…can't," The officer gulped. "The implants aren't responding."

"And yet I still underestimate you, Grimlock." She muttered.

"What now?" Scorpio asked.

"I'll deal with them personally," She said and grinned down at Scorpio. "And you're going to help me!"

XXXXXX

Darren stood before the large metal doors that led to the central hub of the headmaster network. Sunstreaker was already raving in his head, but Darren didn't need any more confirmation. He already knew from that tugging sensation in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he took a telekinetic hold of the steel doors and pulled them apart with a groan.

The first thing he saw were the disembodied heads of Barricade and Sunstreaker, sitting on pedestals with wires connected to them. Barricade's head was in better shape, though it lacked the intelligent glow it once had in life, his black armor now a light grey, like that of an actual corpse. Sunstreaker's head looked as ravaged as it did before, hooked up to the remains of his torso with his Spark core still intact. Both heads were protected by a light blue force field, and standing before them was…

"Hello boy." Aries greeted him. "No, I should call you by your name-Darren Radcliffe. You've shown a great deal of perseverance to fight your way here with nothing but the clothes on your back and your wits."

Darren stepped into the chamber, glaring at the Zodiac with hatred he never felt before in his life. Aries wasn't offended by his silence and pointed at the two heads.

"This is what you came for, right?" He asked. "Well, I can't let you do that. We're on the verge of making history, and I will not allow one child to derail all that hard work in a single night!"

"Go to hell!" Darren said, lifting Excalibur. "You're just a terrorist with a god complex. You're no savior or messiah-you're just as human as me and the rest of the people on this planet!"

"DON'T COMPARE ME TO YOU SAVAGES! I, along with my brothers and sisters are humanity's kings and queens. We've spent a hundred and fifty years forging OZ into the power it is today. Over a century of subverting those pompous fools who think that they're in control, that they are the apex species at the top of nature's divine pyramid, but they're wrong!" Aries shouted, Clarent blazing on his back. "That position belongs to us, the Zodiac, who will show mankind how wrong they were to think that they've reached their limits! We have made many sacrifices to get this far, and I will now allow you to ruin everything we've worked for!"

Darren raised Excalibur, which glowed in the presence of its darker half. "You must not believe it that much if you keep on shouting it. I'm going to end this nightmare, Aries, and I'm going to kill you for all the shit you've put me through!"

"You can try, boy!"

Aries stomped a foot into the floor, denting the metal sheets under him before lunging at Darren. Darren met his lunge with a leap of his own and they met in the air where their swords clashed. Sparks and energy erupted from where Excalibur and Clarent touched, and the blades gave a high-pitched whine that nearly blew out their ear drums. They pushed away from each other and fought furiously, slashing and stabbing, each parry causing energy to arc out of their blades.

Darren held his own very well against Aries, but the Zodiac was stronger and more skilled with his sword. He parried Darren's strikes easily and forced his blade to the ground, backhanding Darren across the face and sent him into one of the computers.

"You're no warrior, Darren. Fighting me one on one is suicide." Aries growled, raising Clarent above his head. "You should know better than to fight a demigod!"

He leapt at Darren and slashed at his head. Darren force pushed himself off the floor, barely dodging Clarent as it hit the spot where his head had just been. It released a powerful energy wave that broke the floor apart and sent Darren flying back. He landed on his feet and formed a TK staff, smacking Aries in the face. The general stumbled back and Darren rushed him with Excalibur, performing a slash at his chest. Aries blocked the attack and glared at Darren as they fell into another deadlock.

"You're weak." Aries said. "You still haven't recovered from your transector getting wounded. The phantom pain is still there, eating away at you."

"Shut up!"

Darren tried to push Aries back with his telekinesis, but Aries kicked him in the chest and fired his eye beam. Darren raised Excalibur and summoned a force field to block the beam. It crashed against his defenses and pushed him back several feet. Darren gritted his teeth as Aries kept the beam going and held his feet in place to keep himself from getting pinned to the wall. If that happened, it was only a matter of time before exhaustion caused his TK barrier to vanish.

'Hold…hold!' Darren chanted in his mind. He knew Excalibur was helping channel power into the barrier, but it wouldn't be enough to match Aries' strength. He cracked open one of his eyes and noticed the console that generated the force field. 'Please work!'

Darren tilted his blade a bit and used his barrier to reflect the beam away from him onto the wall beside him. Like a beam of light on a mirror, he angled Excalibur to control the attack along the wall before moving it over the force field to the generator. Aries didn't realize what he was doing until it was too late.

"What?" Aries saw what Darren was doing and cut the beam off, but not before Darren hit the generator and destroyed the console. "NO!"

The machine exploded violently, blasting Darren and Aries away from each other. Darren stumbled over his feet, but he was relieved to see that his gamble paid off. With the generator gone, the force fields surrounding the heads flickered and died, leaving them exposed. Darren jumped up and limped over to the power cords channeling power to the heads.

"It's…over…" Darren raised Excalibur to cut through the cables leading to Barricade's head, but as he brought the sword down, Clarent flew through the air and stabbed into his shoulder, piercing his armor and searing his flesh underneath. The sword continued until it embedded itself into the wall, pinning Darren off his feet. Darren screamed in agony as the red hot sword burned his shoulder, sending waves of excruciating pain up his left side.

"You'll do no such thing!" Aries hissed. "You'll die here, along with your filthy Autobot pets!"

Aries prepared to fire his concussion beam, but a tingle at the back of his neck caused him to jump away to avoid the photon blast that almost blew his head off. He glared at the attacker and was surprised to see it was D-Va, who was charging at him. She rammed her shoulder into his chest and slammed him into the wall.

"Get away from my friend!" She growled.

"First a child, now a Minicon. What else will the world throw at me to test my dedication?" Aries sneered.

"How about the Dynobots currently fragging your base topside?" D-Va smirked.

Aries' eyes bulged in anger and he kicked her away, landing on his feet and spinning around her. He called Clarent to his land, and the sword left Darren's shoulder to fly into his grasp. But before it could even touch his fingers, D-Va punched him in the ribs, breaking his concentration. Clarent fell to the floor as D-Va and Aries fought each other in a fierce battle of fists. Despite being more durable than the average human, Aries still felt pain every time she hit him. D-Va twirled her staff around her body and slashed at him, forcing him on the defensive.

He took a deep breath and fired a beam from his third eye, but D-Va smacked him in the face just as he did so. The beam shot inches away from the Barricade head, hitting the wall behind it. Cursing, Aries ceased his attack and instead focused on taking her out with his bare hands. D-Va leapt at him and threw a kick at his head, only to have her leg grabbed and her entire body thrown into the wall. She rolled aside to avoid the punch he threw at her face and rushed him, slamming into his chest and sending them both to the ground.

D-Va adjusted her grip on her staff, shoving it into Aries' face, while he tried desperately to keep it from impaling his brain. With all his strength, he moved his arms so that the point of the staff sank into his right shoulder, piercing his flesh painfully and eliciting a bestial growl from him. Using the pain as fuel for his rage, Aries kicked D-Va off him and pulled the staff from his shoulder, using it to stab D-Va through the torso. The blow wasn't fatal, but it was enough to make her reel back in pain. Rolling onto his knees, Aries called Clarent once again, knowing it was his only hope.

Darren, delirious with pain, saw the sword start to float towards its owner and telekinetically pulled on the sword to keep it from reaching Aries. The man growled and called harder, forcing Darren to do the same. They were stuck in a mental tug of war, and the pain was weakening Aries' hold on Clarent. Knowing that D-Va was recovering behind him, Aries knew that he had to act now or else he was dead. Letting go of Clarent for a moment, Aries fired his concussion beam at Darren, who was forced to let go to deflect the beam shot at him.

This allowed Aries to retrieve Clarent just as D-Va got to her feet and leapt at Aries to deal the finishing blow. He spun around as she flew closer to him and swung Clarent as hard as he could.

It all happened in slow motion for Darren. As the smoke cleared around him, he saw Aries slash at D-Va with Clarent, sending an energy wave straight through D-Va's body. Her eyes widened, then he saw her body slowly fall apart, a diagonal cut bisecting her torso. She was cut in half, straight through her Spark core, which leaked out of her body in blue sparkles along with her energon. She was staring at Darren as she fell, her eyes getting dimmer each second. Her last act was to give him one final smile-before her Spark burnt out and she hit the floor.

Darren stared at her body, frozen. His breathing increased, his eyes burning from not blinking at all. His vision went dark as he zeroed in on D-Va's motionless form, before he turned his gaze to Aries, who was forcing himself to his feet. Everything was a blur as he finally reacted in the only way he knew how.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

XXXXXX

Optimus and Pisces circled each other, not taking their eyes away. Their comrades gave them a wide berth so as to not interrupt their commanders. Optimus waited for the right moment, which turned out to be when the Septentrion fired its missiles down on the forest around them.

They charged at each other, punching forward and meeting fists with a resounding boom. Zodiac and Prime grappled each other in a test of strength, trying to overcome one another. Optimus glared into Pisces' glassy eyes and heaved his body to pull Pisces to him. The general was forced forward and actually doubled over as Optimus slammed his knee into his lower abdomen. Prime used this chance to lift Pisces over his body and throw him into the flaming forest.

Despite the size difference, the hypercoil musculature Optimus had granted him immense physical strength that he rarely displayed in battle and Pisces learned firsthand why. He crashed through a couple of burning trees and had red hot cinders falling on him as he slid through the ash covered dirt. Optimus ran at him at full speed and threw a kick at his face. Pisces grabbed his leg and lifted Prime off his foot, slamming him into the ground.

Pisces threw a punch at his face, but Optimus moved his head to let the fist crash into the ground above his shoulder before maneuvering his body into position. In a move he learned from watching Annie spar with Kevin, he grabbed Pisces' arm in an arm lock and wrapped his legs around his shoulder in a vice grip, squeezing as hard as he could. The pressure from his legs alone caused the armor on Pisces' shoulder to crack, and blood to spurt out like a ruptured pipe.

'That's it!' Optimus thought. He felt Pisces trying to gain some leverage on him, but Optimus wasn't having it. He twisted his arm and grappled Pisces' head with his legs, dragging him face first into the ground and began pulling on his arm.

More cracks appeared along his arm, spraying blood everywhere. Pisces was trapped, and when his arm broke, the plates over his mouth slid apart to reveal his sharp teeth, and steam rose from his mouth. Optimus kept pulling as hard as he could, not stopping when he heard the crack of bone, and gave a might roar when he finally tore the arm off. Pisces grunted in pain and hissed steam from his teeth.

The arm went flying into the flames around them and Optimus rolled to the side when Pisces shook him off. The titan growled, hissing steam from his plates. Optimus saw steam rising from his stump as well.

'High pain tolerance and possible regeneration, judging from the lack of blood.' Optimus thought. 'He is strong, but he can be beaten.'

Optimus was brought back to reality when Pisces suddenly appeared in his face. Startled, Optimus was punched in the chest and hit the tree behind him. He ducked under his second punch and fell to the ground to grapple Pisces' other leg, but couldn't get a firm hold. When Pisces tried to cave his face in, he was forced to push himself away and get to his feet. Pisces growled and rushed Optimus again.

'His armor is spread out over his body. It's strong, but a strong enough blow in a single area can shatter it. My grapples did its fair share of damage as well.' Optimus had a plan. 'Sparkplug, I need you to do something for me.'

Pisces lunged at Optimus, who jumped up and did something unexpected. He wrapped his legs around his waist and buried his head under his right arm, pulling Pisces into a headlock and began to squeeze. Pisces choked and fell to his knees and Prime began choking him, constricting his neck in a vice grip that could shatter stone.

"You may be strong, Zodiac, but you're no fighter!" Optimus grunted and wrenched his body backwards. This caused the armor plating on the back of Pisces neck to strain and fracture, cracking his hard skin and blood to spurt out. Pain erupted along his collarbone and Pisces tried to regain his balance. "Now!"

Sparkplug, carrying a vibroblade, ran over Prime's shoulder and swung down, grapping onto Pisces' shoulder and sliced into the back of his left leg, severing the tendons and making Pisces lose his leverage. Unable to move, he slumped forward and Optimus squeezed tighter.

Pisces knew he was in trouble. He couldn't break free and his spine was dangerously close to snapping like a twig. His vision began to darken and when he felt his teeth start to crack, he took action. Using his one hand, he pushed them both across the ground, using his other leg to force himself forward. He used his remaining strength to push them into a clearing. Struggling to loosen the grip on his head, Pisces opened his mouth and gave a tremendous roar.

"You aren't getting out of this one!" Optimus grunted, covered in blood spurting from the Zodiac's back. "This fight is over!"

"Optimus, look out!" Sparkplug yelled.

Optimus wondered what Sparkplug was so worried about…until he saw a small object hover directly over the clearing and fire a giant golden yellow beam down on the two combatants.

XXXXXX

With close range fighting no longer an option, Nightshade was forced to improvise. Megatron and the others were still fighting the headmasters, three cruise missiles scored direct hits on the Nemesis, and the Seekers were still struggling with the Alioth. Not to mention the ice colossus was still spraying that quick freezing mist that made it hard to get close. Time was short and drastic measures had to be taken. And who better than Megatron to carry out this insane plan himself?

"This is insane!" Thundercracker yelled.

"I know, Thundcracker. Your opinion is noted." Megatron said. "Now shut up and fly faster!"

Hanging onto the blue Seeker, Megatron braved Mach 2 speeds as they flew into the back of the ice colossus. Megatron waited for the last possible moment before leaping forward into the quick freeze and shooting his fusion cannon at the hard ice. He rushed forward and smashed through the hole he made, tackling the surprised Zodiac from behind and crashing outside through the colossus's chest.

"You're mine, you bitch!" Megatron growled.

"No," Aquarius hissed. "You're mine!"

Aquarius fired two high pressure water jets from her talos's hands, blasting Megatron into the beach and smashing five headmasters underneath. She righted herself on a water spout and hovered over him.

"You're lucky my queen wants you alive, or else I'd taken your head by now!" Aquarius said.

"Like your chains can hold me!" Megatron said. Pointing his fusion cannon at the ground, he fired a plasma beam into the sand and propelled himself at her, a move she clearly wasn't expecting. He cut his blast short and spun in the air, slamming his leg into her unit's right arm. Aquarius grunted as she was thrown around in her seat and wrapped a water tendril around his waist and slammed him into the ground again.

"Don't underestimate me!" She shouted, slamming wave after wave on top of him. "We've won, you backwater warlord! This world belongs to OZ now, and there's nothing you can do about it!"

As soon as she said that, there was a loud boom behind her. Everyone looked up, even the headmasters, to see the Alioth descending rapidly towards the ocean. Aquarius was shocked speechless as her battleship lost altitude, explosions blossoming along its upper deck before crashing into the ice colossus, shattering it and falling into the water, creating a massive wave that also destroyed part of the frozen shoreline that allowed the headmasters entry onto the beach. All the while Aquarius tried contacting the bridge crew, and getting no response back.

"What was that you were saying about not being able to do anything?" Megatron chuckled, getting to his feet. "I know what winning looks like, and that's not winning."

"Don't mock me!" Aquarius spun around to attack Megatron again, but she was forced to leap away to avoid an arrow fired from Nightshade. Hissing angrily, she propelled herself at the femme, risked another arrow to her unit's arm before slamming herself into Nightshade and sending them both crashing into the shallow waters on the beach.

"First, I'll take your eyes for my trophies," Aquarius snarled. "Then I'll mount your head on my wall!"

"Nightshade's anything but a house ornament, I'm afraid." A familiar voice said. "She's not worth the extra money."

Aquarius spun around just in time to see Starscream smirking before he fired his null ray at her.

XXXXXX

Darren and Aries fought like animals, and unlike their earlier duel, the results of this one were reversed. Aries found himself fighting defensively as Darren came at him like a wild animal, slashing wildly with strikes enhanced by his telekinesis. His arms began to feel numb and he was covered in blood from the deep cuts Darren managed to land on him.

Something had snapped within Darren. Seeing D-Va killed before his eyes had caused him to go berserk. His powers tore apart anything within striking distance that wasn't bolted down, and threw them at Aries. Aries destroyed the debris thrown t him, but Darren was on him in a flash, smacking Excalibur against Clarent hard enough to knock him back. Then began the second round of their fight, and this time, Aries found himself on the receiving end of a beatdown.

Darren delivered fierce strikes to Aries and continued to push him back. His vision was a cloudy haze red with anger, his green eyes were literally glowing, and a silver aura surrounded his body. Aries met each of his attacks head on, but neither warrior could break the other's guard. But what Aries failed to notice was that with each attack, Clarent started to crack along its blade. Another blow and the cracks spread. Darren's attacks got more aggressive and Aries found himself losing ground.

Aries was awestruck as he tried to process how he was losing against a child who barely even mastered his own powers. But he couldn't deny that Darren was steadily pushing him back and it took all of his remaining strength to stay on the ground. He looked down only for a second and saw the spiderweb of magma red cracks spread across his blade. He realized too late that Clarent couldn't take another hit again…and Darren did just that.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!" Darren roared and brought Excalibur across Clarent in a powerful slash…and shattered Clarent with that one hit. The king's sword smashed through Clarent and dug into Aries' chest, leaving a deep bloody gash that cut him to the bone.

Aries stared at Darren in shock as he watched the pieces of Clarent fly apart before his eyes. He felt the intense pain in his chest as Excalibur sliced him across his collarbone, and felt the pain of the metal shards digging into his arms. The built up energy held within Clarent exploded from the shattered blade and blasted Aries and Darren apart. Aries hit the floor on his back and tried to get up, coughing up blood. Then he looked up and saw Darren leaping at him with Excalibur, ready to deal the final blow.

It was a reactionary attack-born out of a desperate need to save his life in a panicked state. Aries fired a beam from his eye and hit Darren in the chest. The beam hit Darren's TK protection and sent him crashing back through the wall, ripping apart the metal wall and into the next room over. Darren hit one of the support pillars and fell face first to the ground, Excalibur landing a few feet from him.

Aries spat out a glob of blood and limped over to Darren, jumping through the hole and slowly edging towards him, holding a hand to the profusely bleeding cut on his chest. His measured and calm gaze was now wide with anger. He had enough of this.

"What did you think you could do? You, a lone esper boy, a couple of Minicons and five brain dead Autobots against my army. OZ has been around for over a century, with us guiding it along its path of nobility. And in another century we will be praised as heroes for ridding the galaxy of the cybertronian scourge." Aries panted.

Darren groaned, lifting his head to glared daggers at him. That's when he noticed a piece of metal behind Aries-two pieces of D-Va's armor.

"I should've killed you that night. You and your sisters, just to make sure your bloodline will never bother me again." Aries continued. His third eye began to glow as he charged up the killing blow. "Luckily, Gaia has shown favor for me to give me a second chance."

"Then you better make this shot count," Darren hissed. "Because you'll never get a second chance."

Aries growled and inhaled. Darren waited until he saw the third eye glowed brighter before clenching his fist. The armor pieces flew up and wrapped around Aries' head just as he was about to fire his beam. The lack of clearance in his eye caused the energy to build up and detonate within the small space-which was Aries' head. This caused a massive explosion that engulfed Aries and blew Darren back. Through the smoke, he saw that all that was left of Aries was a crater and nothing else. Not even his ashes survived.

"I told you you'd never get a second chance." Darren spat. Drawing Excalibur to himself, Darren used it to push himself up to his feet and slowly limped over to the hub, looking up at the heads. With an agonized shout, he slashed apart the cables to Barricade's head, disconnecting the headmaster network to him. Barricade's eyes flickered before finally going dark.

He went over to Sunstreaker's head and started crying when he saw D-Va's body. "Listen, Sunstreaker, I'm sorry. Chances are you already know that. But…what I do now I do because I'm out of options, and maybe so are you." He raised Excalibur. "What was it you said? Every moment, a little bit of me dies? It's better this way."

Darren brought Excalibur down on the cables and severed them in a fountain of electrical sparks. With the connection cut, the light in Sunstreaker's eyes went dark and Darren only felt silence in his head.

XXXXXX

Before reaching the Ark, Pisces had the Septentrion deploy Damocles, an atmospheric satellite that drew power from solar cells to gather energy for a high powered particle beam that grew in size and power the longer it traveled through the atmosphere. He intended it to blast a hole in the Ark for maximum damage, but with Optimus seconds away from breaking his neck, he was forced to issue a command to have the satellite cannon fire on his position. He could survive the beam…but Optimus would not.

Sparkplug was blown off his feet when the beam hit Optimus and Pisces, and he hit his head on a tree. He blacked out for a few seconds, but quickly recovered. He ran over to the crater where the beam hit and was horrified to see that Pisces was climbing out, covered in blood and moving slower than usual, but unharmed otherwise.

Smoke rose off is form and steam leaked from his wounds. Pisces looked weak and felt weak; Prime's assault on his body was taking its toll and another fight like that would cause his titan body to involuntarily disperse. Pisces looked over at Sparkplug and growled. If he was going to lose, then at least he would get his share of blood tonight. He stomped for the Minicon to crush him under foot, only to hear the powering up of blasters behind him.

"Don't move freak."

The other Autobots had surrounded him, most were heavily damaged but were still alive and were very, very angry. Tomahawk and Jetfire were hovering above him, as was the Septentrion still in place, damaged as well from the assault from the Minicons. Pisces blinked in confusion. Where were the headmasters? Surely, the Autobots couldn't have defeated them so quickly.

He got his answer when he saw all of the headmasters lying on the ground, their eyes dark and motionless. Many were destroyed by the Autobots, but even the ones that were operational seconds before were now inactive. This could only mean that the connection from central base was compromised, that was the only answer.

'Aries!' Pisces growled.

"Surprised?" Ironhide smirked. "Turns out your toys aren't so fancy after all."

Pisces roared and prepared to issue a recall from the MASS device, but before he could perform his signal, he was grabbed from behind in a headlock, his one arm pulled behind his back to restrain it. He couldn't move his head, but he instantly knew that it had to be Prime. The Autobot leader had survived the particle beam and was missing a few pieces of armor with some severed burns along his form, but it didn't temper his strength at all.

"Surrender now or I'll be forced to finish our fight!" Optimus growled in his ear and tightened his hold on Pisces' neck, once again on the verge of ripping his head from his shoulders. "Don't make this a last stand."

Pisces felt the hold on his neck increasing in strength and felt his bones start to creak. He only had seconds to escape and now was the time. Letting exhaustion take hold of him, Pisces' body erupted in a cloud of scalding hot steam that blinded the Autobots. Optimus felt his grip on Pisces vanish, and Arcee and Jazz rushed forward to capture the Zodiac. But when they cut through the smoke, they found that Pisces was completely gone.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Jetfire asked.

"Did he teleport?"

"No, this was something else." Optimus said and shook his head. He looked down at the deactivated clones and saw that one by one they were all disappearing in flashes of green energy. Pisces, who had used his steam cover to retreat into the trees and issue the mass recall also vanished back to his secondary base in the McCullen castle. Seeing that their enemies were basically retreating, Optimus sagged in relief and exhaustion. "Autobots, we need to heal up and go help the Dynobots."

"They must've done something right if these ugly buggers just fainted." Jetfire kicked a decapitated headmaster in the face. "Creepy fraggers."

XXXXXX

The null ray completely destroyed the Hydrakhoos' systems and it went dead in the air almost immediately. Aquarius, knowing she was in a bad situation, blasted open her hatch and jumped out of her cockpit before two missiles blew her talos apart. She summoned a water spout to quickly get her out to sea, away from the three very angry Decepticons.

"Why are you running?" Starscream cackled. "Where's all that pompous bravado from before?"

"Shut it, machine! I still have my army!" Aquarius yelled back.

"Not anymore." Nightshade smirked.

Aquarius looked to the beach and saw that her headmaster army had all been deactivated. The Barricade clones were strewn across the ground like a field of corpses and didn't respond to her commands. "No…no!"

Aquarius lashed out with a powerful wave in all directions, throwing water spikes at Starscream, only to hastily put up an ice barrier to block the arrow from Nightshade. She fell back into the water and surfed along the beach, sending water blasts and drills at all the Decepticons, though they mostly had her on the run from their heavy weapons fire. She tried calling OZ central for recall, but all she got was static.

"Central base pick me up now, damn it! I need a recall!" Aquarius shouted. "Help me out here you fools!"

"No one's going to save you now!"

Aquarius spun around and saw the barrel of Megatron's fusion cannon pointed at her face. She screamed as the cannon lit up and fired its beam, consuming her body and vaporizing her on the spot. Megatron felt satisfied at being able to kill the human that caused so much damage to his island. Still, there was another problem he needed to address.

"You've been busy when I was sleeping." Starscream smirked.

"Starscream…" Megatron growled. Starscream held up his hands, which held Terradive and Stormwing powerlinked to him.

"Rest assured, I have seen the error of my ways. I humbly apologize for my actions in trying to usurp your rule." Starscream said, disengaging the Minicons to show that he was genuine…mostly. "I'm afraid desperate times led to my cohorts attempting drastic measures."

"I can see that." Megatron glared daggers at Skywarp. "We'll speak more of this in private. Right now, we need to salvage this mess!"

Nightshade looked over the field of Barricade clones and burned the image into her mind. This was the second time OZ nearly had them on the ropes, and using their own technology as well. Another close call, another almost victory. How many of these will they get before they're finally run off the island?

"Lady Nightshade," Demolishor walked up to her, covered in burns and blaster marks along his chest and shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just…lamenting." She said.

"Why? We won, didn't we?" He asked.

"Just barely. Just like the other times, we get out by chance or luck, and with our ship worse off than it already is." Nightshade scowled. "No, we didn't win, Demolishor…we survived."

XXXXXX

At the OZ base, the Dynobots were just as confused as the others. One minute they were fighting another horde of headmasters, and the next, the clones all flopped to the ground like someone pulled out their batteries.

"What…just happened?" Grimlock asked, extremely puzzled.

"I suspect…" Rodimus came limping over to them with the Minicons at his feet. "Sunstreaker pulled the plug on himself."

"Huh?" Swoop asked.

"It's complicated." Nightscream said.

"Ha! How about that? We won!" Sludge laughed and raised his hammer in victory. "We actually-"

Sludge was cut short when a beam hit him in the chest. Though his armor wasn't damaged that much, the sudden surge it sent through his neural circuitry caused him to fall into stasis lock and forced his Spark to suddenly short out. He fell to the ground before his stunned teammates.

"Sludge?" Grimlock whispered.

"I should have done that a long time ago." Thornment stepped off the elevator lift with Scorpio in his giant Skorpios talos, its tail cannon smoking from its recent shot. "You've ruined my day too many times, but there's always revenge. Sweet, languorous revenge."

"Yes!" A giant chrome jet flew in from above, transforming into a massive mech and landing hard on the ground. "But it shall be mine!"

"Sprawl?" Slag exclaimed.

Once again caught in an impossible situation, Rodimus sighed. "Oh brother."

* * *

 **A lot of heavy emotions in this chapter. The Autobots and Decepticons just barely scrape by thanks to Darren and OZ has been dealt a massive blow. One more chapter to go, and it's the end of the Dynobot's saga on Terra and the finale of Transformers Titan: Escalation. Thanks for reading everyone and please leave a review.**


	44. La Vita Nova

Chapter 44-La Vita Nova

Sludge's body lay still before Grimlock who stared down at him in shock. Grimlock felt a cold feeling wash over his Spark, a feeling not felt since losing Skaar-sadness. But unlike before, Grimlock felt all the blame rested on his shoulders alone.

"Grimlock!" Snarl pushed him out of the way of a particle beam. "Move or you'll be joining him!"

"You animals have ruined everything!" Thornment raged. "But I can still build it back up. I am on a divine mission, and I will not be denied!"

She fired another beam that blasted Grimlock and Snarl apart, but she was forced to retreat as two missiles hit the ground near her. Sprawl hovered above her, shooting his laser guns at her to chase her away.

"I told you, Thornment-back off!" Sprawl said. "Vengeance is mine and mine alone!"

"Aww gee," Rodimus drawled, using Slag's sword as a cane. "Isn't it great to be so in demand?"

"See, generally its easier keeping tags on who we haven't ticked off." Slag said.

Swoop said. "It's the Dynobot way."

Thornment chased after Sprawl in her aircraft mode, firing her particle cannon repeatedly. "Vengeance? What do you know about vengeance, Sprawl? You're too busy screwing around with those plebeians, trying to eek out a meager existence!"

"When you're as old as I am, you find mundane things to be boring!" Sprawl fired his guns at her. "But unlike you, I don't chase around imaginary beings to justify my growing insanity!"

"How dare you!"

"This is our chance." Snarl said to Grimlock, watching the chaotic fight raging above them. "While they're busy fighting out whose grudge is bigger, we can slip away."

"No." Grimlock said bluntly. Snarl blinked at him.

"No? Okay, look-Sludge got his circuits crispy fried, sure, but that goes with the territory." Snarl said. "We don't do recriminations and we never, ever get all band of brothers."

"I know, Snarl, I know. More's the pity, because if we did, this might actually mean something." Grimlock knelt down and placed a hand on Sludge's chest, as if searching for a Sparkpulse. "Instead, it's just another meaningless statistic in a miserable excuse for a life. Everything I've ever done has accounted to exactly nothing. In the past, I've got by on bad attitude alone, but…it's just not enough."

Grimlock clenched his fist and stood up. "You go. Take the others with you. I'm seeing this through to the bitter end! It may be long overdue but I'm finally taking responsibility."

Snarl shook his head and ran back to the other Dynobots. "Let's go. Signal Prime. Have him bridge us back to the Ark."

"Grimlock?" Swoop inquired.

"No." Snarl sighed. "He's having what you might call…an accountable moment."

Slag looked at Rodimus and the Minicons. "You coming with us?"

"Thanks, but I've got some unfinished business of my own." Rodimus said.

"Look at yourself, Rodimus. You're not in any much shape for a fight."

"There is no more fight." Nightscream said. "Two of our friends are in there. They're the ones who saved the day and we're going to get them."

Slag could only shake his head, but he gave the odd group a nod. "You Autobots, suicidal to the end."

Rodimus smirked. "Why do you think they call me Hot Rod?"

XXXXXX

The sun was just beginning to rise after quite possibly the longest night in Agent Red's career. He was in a Skywatch mobile unit hearing some updates on their robotic bloodhound.

"Agent Red, we have confirmation from out Sioux field unit," A soldier reported. "Seekers one and two have been re-acquired at the exact coordinates Sprawl supplied."

"Status?" Red asked.

"Fully immobilized. Higher functions offline."

"Two down," Red sighed. "What's the latest from Dallas?"

"Sprawl has engaged an unidentified NBE in the Epsilon compound in Irving."

"The first twenty-four hour period is almost up." A tactical officer said. "Should I transmit the disarm code?"

"Hold off until the last possible moment. I want them all, a clean sweep." Red glanced at the computer screen showing a diaphragm of Sprawl's head. "If it's done, let the cranial charge detonate, if not, reset."

XXXXXX

Skaar's death had haunted Grimlock for a long time. Back on that day, Grimlock was in a position to save Skaar from that terrible quake, but he was busy trying to kill Sprawl for a cheap shot dealt to him earlier that day. He had a chance to save him, but lost those precious few seconds because of his rage. Grimlock liked to think it was all Sprawl's fault, but some blame rested on his shoulders. Just like dragging Sludge to his death. But this time, things would be different.

He knelt by Sludge's body, his chest plate open to reveal his Spark core, which had cables leading from it to Sludge's chest. Slamming his fist into Sludge's chest, Grimlock used his Spark energy to jump start Sludge's Spark like a defibrillator. It was a risky move since it could've killed Grimlock in the attempt, but he wasn't going to let another mech die on his watch.

"Take it! Take everything!" Grimlock shouted, channeling as much power into his friend as possible. "Whatever I am, the entirety of me…it's all yours! Live, damn you, live!"

Meanwhile, the fight between Sprawl and Thornment continued. Now in robot mode, they dueled with blasters and electrified heat rods and dealt each other moderate wounds that didn't slow them down.

"I've heard of your so-called Order. You think you're above everything, that your gods will protect you, but you're wrong!" Sprawl said. His hissed as one of her heat rod dragged against his chest painfully and backhanded her to get some breathing room. "You people are no better than any other cult out there. Religious nuts using god to justify your sociopathic habits!"

Sprawl fired his pulse cannon into Thornment's chest and grabbed her head. He threw her to the ground and stomped on her chest to pin her down.

"I'm…more powerful that you," She hissed. "I…will…"

"Yield." Sprawl pointed his cannon at her face. "At this distance, a focused ion blast will tear through your chest and obliterate your Spark completely. Since I'm not on a mission to torch you, despite my urges, you'd do well to stand down immediately."

Thornment considered her options and retracted her heat rods. "Fine."

Sprawl lifted his foot off her and allowed her to stand. "You have an exit strategy?"

"Of course."

"Then use it."

"No!" Grimlock stomped toward them in beast mode. "I may not have been able to save Sludge, but I can still avenge him!"

"Not likely." Thornment issued the recall and felt the MASS device take hold of her body. She disappeared in an energy vortex before Grimlock would reach her.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Grimlock roared.

"Ten thousand, three hundred and ninety-six years, two months and three days." Sprawl stalked toward Grimlock, barely retrained anger in his voice. "That is what you cost me. This is the debt."

"Yeah? Well, the humans have an expression," Grimlock charged at Sprawl and slammed his head into Sprawl's chest. "Payback's a bitch!"

The two heavy-set mechs fought in a mess of teeth and fists, rolling amongst the rubble and dead headmasters that littered the courtyard. But unknown to the Dynobots, Sprawl's temporary partner in crime who was sitting in a cave a few states over was Soundwave, waiting for his opportunity to return to his mighty form.

XXXXXX

" _You understand, Soundwave, timing is everything."_

" _Of course," He answered. "Just make sure that while I am cloning the Skywatch disarm code, you are simultaneous making good on your end of the bargain."_

 _Sprawl chuckled and reached down to pluck Soundwave's tiny alt mode from the ground. "Ironic, isn't it? You find yourself locked in the most limited alt mode courtesy of a weapon designed by Shockwave. No matter, soon we shall be whole again."_

XXXXXX

"Even though fightin' Sprawl is what got us into this mess, I still feel the urge to bite off his head." Snarl said.

"Same here." Slag nodded.

"Well, the aye's have it." Swoop said. "Let's-"

"Er, guys?" Everyone turned to see Sludge walking over to him, rubbing the back of his head groggily. "What's going on?"

Sprawl threw Grimlock into a pile of rubble and ran at him. Grimlock burst out of the rocks and sank his teeth into Sprawl's leg. Sprawl tried to shake him off and lifted his cannon arm, only for the massive form of Sludge to rush him from behind.

"Miss us?" Sludge yelled.

Sprawl growled and threw Snarl into Sludge, only for Grimlock to ram into him again in robot mode. Both mechs crashed through a wall and into a hidden munitions facility. As Sprawl grappled with the Dynobot leader, he felt Skywatch transmitting the disarm code to his internal bomb and knew it was game time.

Halfway across the country, Soundwave intercepted the disarm code for himself and automatically began translating it to disable the virus on his T-cog. Sprawl gave him a quick rundown on how to use it to cleanse his T-cog of the virus lock and in only a few seconds, Soundwave transformed back into his natural form.

"Freedom!" Soundwave exclaimed. "Ravage, Laserbeak, awaken!"

His bestial proxies awoke from their induced power down and quickly mauled the Skywatch unit near them. Soundwave contacted Sprawl, informing him of the conclusion of their partnership.

'Fine by me.' Sprawl sent back as he threw Grimlock into a wall. "This is getting old, Grimlock. I could care less about satisfying your barbaric urges." Sprawl said. "If you follow me or continue harassing me, I'll kill you. Stay out of my business and-"

"Never." Grimlock said and dropped something on the ground. "This ends only one way."

Sprawl stared at the explosive device in shock, then to the warheads around them. "What have you done?"

Grimlock smirked. "What I do best."

Agent Red's chopper just made it to the Epsilon facility and was scanning the ground for signs of his alien resources. Sadly, he would get an unwelcome wakeup call when the building the chopper was flying over suddenly exploded into a towering pillar of fire that reached into the sky. The explosion would be heard for miles and signaled the end to the explosively long night of death and destruction that raged across the entire country.

XXXXXX

Three days passed since that long, unholy night in which enemies and allies were forced to survive against the headmaster army and the scars of that conflict were still there. For the Autobots, they still had the Ark, though the forest was nothing but scorched earth for nearly two miles at the foot of the volcano. The wreckage of the two airships was still there as well, with Wheeljack and Bulkhead leading the effort to scavenge for parts, and the Septentrion was still in their possession as well. That was probably the only upside to this mess.

Personally, everyone was still trying to recover in their own way. Grimlock was badly damaged from his explosive fight with Sprawl, but he and the Dynobots were alive and well, as was Rodimus. Sprawl himself was nowhere to be found when the Autobots cleaned out the OZ base from the inside out. The news that Rodimus told them of OZ's attempt to subvert Skywatch, the secret government organization that had been nipping at their heels without their notice was yet another issue to add to their growing hit list of problems that arose from this debacle. And as for Sunstreaker and Darren…they were dealing with what happened in their own way.

"He is traumatized and in need of a lot of CR time, but he'll mend." Ratchet said. "Tough physical separated, Sunstreaker's Spark sustained him."

"It's probably only due to Thornment and Dualor giving them pointers on how to rip him apart." Flashpoint shook her head. "The savages."

Darren looked at Sunstreaker's body floating in the CR chamber. He could still see the seams where Ratchet had put him back together in the two day operation it took to repair him completely. It would've taken one day, but the medic had to also try to find a way to deal with the shared mental connection they still shared.

"And me?" Darren asked, still looking at Sunstreaker. "Am I…are we…?"

"Well, I've been able to dampen the positronic feed so you don't keep hearing his thoughts, but…" Ratchet shook his head. "I simply don't know enough about the technology to risk removing your implants."

Darren rubbed his arms, where thin blue lines could be seen under his skin where the hard points that connected to his headmaster armor used to be. He could still feel the echoes of Sunstreaker in his mind, and he wondered how much of his personality was his, and how much was carried over from the Autobot.

He risked a glance at D-Va's sheet covered body and felt his eyes water a bit. When Rodimus and the Minicons found him, they saw him cradling her upper half crying uncontrollably. He carried her to the Ark himself and hadn't said a word to anyone until the surgery. From what he heard, Tracer was just as heartbroken as he was when they had the funeral service and were making plans to cremate her body. Tracer thanked Darren from the bottom of her Spark for helping her until the end. D-Va was in a better place now-with Overrun.

Even still, Darren still had flashes of her death running through his mind and he knew that he would have a lot of sleepless nights in the coming weeks.

"It feels like half of me is missing." Darren said, looking at his hands. "I'm…not even sure who I am anymore."

"You're Darren Radcliffe," Darren spun around to see High Wire with his team and the girls. "Our friend."

"Guys!" Darren smiled.

Debbie and Annie ran to hug their brother, while Gina nearly knocked him over when she hopped into his arms, kiss him passionately. She made sure to make it last.

"I've missed you so much!" Gina smiled, rubbing at her eyes.

"Get in line!" Debbie laughed with teary eyes.

"I told you he would be all right." Annie bragged, though she was looking a bit teary as well. "Welcome back, Darren."

Darren laughed and invited the Street Action Team for a hug as well, eager to bask in their happy feelings. He was home again.

From afar, Optimus and Prowl watched the happy reunion with heavy Sparks. They've won, but the cost was still too much.

"We barely made it this time, Prime." Prowl said. "OZ almost tore us to shreds, and this was just from capturing Sunstreaker and Barricade."

"I know. And Sunstreaker will forever have the scars of the trauma they've put him through." Optimus said. Sideswipe was going to be livid when he got the news. "Is Wheeljack still with the Dynobots?"

"They're almost done finishing repairs on the Grimstone. With Grimlock's recovery almost done, they're moving faster now." Prowl said. "But Prime, we're in a precarious position. I've done what I could to remove any trace of our presence and purged the facility, but this outfit, Skywatch, they know a lot about us."

"Keeping a low profile is going to be even more difficult thanks to the Dynobot's rampage in Fallon. People are still talking about that, and the massive battle at Epsilon was also seen by hundreds of people in the area. Things have been going downhill for us since the headmasters came onto the scene." Sprarkplug said. "What are we going to do?"

Optimus had thought long and hard about the decision he was about to make. "What happened recently has made it harder to operate as we normally have. With Skywatch involved, and the Helic government possibly aware of our existence, it may be detrimental to continue operating in secrecy."

Prowl already caught onto what Prime was suggestion. "Prime, surely you can't be suggesting that we…?"

"Prowl, our existence is no longer a secret anymore. If we try to continue as we always have, we may risk antagonizing the government and the military." Optimus said. "It is in situations like this that we must adapt to the problem at hand."

"So what's your plan?" Sparkplug asked.

Optimus looked down at his Minicon friend and gave his answer.

XXXXXX

On March 21, 2008, President Joe Colton gave a press conference pertaining to the mysterious events surrounding the appearance of giant robots in Fallon and Dallas.

"My fellow Republicans," The president noted calmly as he addressed the press on the patio of the White House. "I come before you today to explain the recent events in Fallon, Dallas, Texas and Dakote; on September 24, at 2:34 PM, unusual radio activity was found in the state of Dakote. This activity was caused by the activation of a distress beacon within an extraterrestrial escape craft, dormant on Terra for approximately five million years. This signal attracted the attention of two other extraterrestrial groups also dormant on Terra for four million years until a year ago. Since February 18 of this year, sightings of the warring extraterrestrials have been connected to recent sightings in Yuktobania, Fallon and Tampa. Since later that month, I and other select members of the Helic Republic government and military have been in contact with one of these groups and they contributed to our defense against their malevolent counterparts, and managed to defeat them with minimal losses. It is at their recommendation that we now reveal the truth, and they reveal themselves to us."

The gathered members of the White House press corps turned in surprise as a large red and blue flat nose Peterbilt truck drove up next to the podium and suddenly broke apart and reshaped itself into a taller form. Parts reorganized to form arms, legs and finally a head. As cameras flashed, the robot spoke in a deep, resonating tone.

"People of Terra, I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots," Optimus Prime said to the world. "And I come in peace."

And so Terra was changed forever.

 **Book 2-End**

* * *

 **I want to thank everyone for reading this story and giving it so much support. It was fun writing Escalation and putting these characters through all new situations, and ending it off with a bang. I will be taking a little break to focus on updating Distant Stars and my side stories for a little while, but once I am fully rested, I will be beginning typing down the first chapter to the sequel to Uprising, Transformers: Defiance. Until then, I hope you all have a nice day and thank you all for your wonderful support in these troubling times.**


	45. Author's Note

Author's Note

After thinking it over, I've decided to post the revised version of the Transformers Titan series on this site. I've read over books one and two and I'm really not satisfied with how I've written the story back then. My idea of the overall plot is clearer now, I've fleshed out the storyline and character interactions and I've already written the story up to 24. So tomorrow, I'm posting the revised version of Transformers Titan: Awakening on this site. Revised versions of Escalation and Distant Stars, which is now called Mosiac, will be posted after Awakening is done as well. Don't worry, no major changes have been made to Titan's overall plot, and I'm still working on Devastation, but I feel that you guys should at least read a newer, more competent version of this story. One chapter every week unless otherwise stated.

I'm going to keep the original because they're my first stories on this site and I don't want to take away what's essentially my writing history. Awakening was my first story on this site and a lot of people liked it and Escalation. I won't touch Uprising and Descent, but I've made some changes on the side that won't impact them in the long run. New Developments will still be up, but I won't be updating that for a while until I've settled everything. I've already posted the revised chapters on my website and Archive of Our Own, so it's kinda unfair to have you guys go on the old version. As of today, Awakening, Escalation and Distant Stars will have (old version) in the title to differentiate them from the newer stories. I'm sorry to have sprung this up on you guys, but I feel like doing this series over properly now that my vision of Titan's direction is clearer now.

Thank you all for your support, reviews and love of Transformers in general. I will be seeing you guys in the new version of Transformers Titan!


End file.
